The Eternal Path, Part I: The Viajante
by Kankokage
Summary: Across the world conceptions have ceased, and humanity faces extinction. Individuals from around the planet are perishing by an unknown force. In the face of this end, Mark Anders must face reality or else all will be destroyed. The Viajante has arrived.
1. Prologue: The Nightmare

**THE VIAJANTE - by Kankokage**

Please be kind and don't plagiarize. Thank you.

**PROLOGUE – THE NIGHTMARE**

Hello, my name is Mark Anders.

My life had been one of tears. Not the tears of joy, nor of sorrow - rather the tears of solitude…tears from knowing that I had no one, only memories that didn't seem right, memories that seemed to be from another's life. In those strange and sometimes harrowing glimpses of a seemingly different universe I took my refuge to weather the storms of existence.

Now that is all different, though. I found a companion, a wife with whom my solitude is banished, and with her my days of tears are ended. Her spirit seems to lift mine to higher peaks of happiness and contentment, and together we drive back those storms of sorrow and loss. Finally, I feel like my life can be one of joy.

Still, though, I have these memories…

And then of course there's the nightmare…

_Darkness enveloped the room as the young child slept. Outside in the night air the clouds and stars were hidden, the only visible shadows formed from the numerous torches and lanterns scattered throughout the city. It was thus as the child slept a number of shadows separated from the rest and sped over road, wall and house towards the room, the sleeping child unaware. Suddenly the windows to the room burst open revealing a group of dark figures, and the child began to stir._

_"Is this the one?" asked one of the figures in a deep, overtly masculine voice._

_"Yeah," replied another, in a clean tenor. "He's the one. Master says everything's ready." The boy became more lucid, and sat up, his eyes widened and his body trembling with fear._

_"Wha…what are you…?" gasped the boy in a weak voice, barely perceptible to the ears of the dark figures._

_"Now now, little one," said a third, this one with a smooth alto voice of a young woman. "Just look at the bunny and everything will be all right." From the shadows appeared a small, cartoonish rabbit's hear attached to a spring, and slowly the world around the boy began to fade and melt, the images of the room drizzling down like runny paint down a wall._

_"Grab him and let's go," said the first voice, and with that all became black as pitch, and silent as the grave._

Every time the dream begins the same. The dark room, the figures, the fear, the bunny. I don't know what it means, but I do know that after everything melts away, the worst part comes…the part that always makes me wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes screaming, sometimes clenching my wife so tightly it hurts her…

_Once the darkness became complete, the boy felt himself drifting along softly, almost pleasantly, but not for long. With a swift drop he began to plummet through the darkness, glimpses of pale light peeking through seeming clouds of obscurity. Each second brought greater velocity and greater visibility, until it all became clear. Now with the world around him clear, he realized his position: he was falling, faster and faster down, towards the earth a thousand feet below._

_"No!!!" cried out the boy, tears whipping from his eyes to his temples, these then being swept off into the air as he fell. His wailing continued even as the ground grew closer and closer, until he saw what he was falling towards. At first it was small and featureless, but as the feet began to dwindle and the moment of impact arrived it became clear – he was going to land upon a person, likely killing them both. The impact then came, swift with only a brief thud that lasted a microsecond…and once again all became dark._

I have had this dream thousands of times, and nearly every night of my life. But only very recently have I made the realization of the identity of the person I was always falling onto - it was me.

I can only hope that someday, somehow I will find an answer. Who knows…perhaps even today I'll learn of what this all means.

**Next time: CHAPTER 1: THE UNBOUND SOUL**

**BONUS!** This is just a preview of the upcoming Bleach story - chapter one won't be released for a little while (like, not until Akira, Kankokage of the Three Mountains is finished…which is coming up fairly soon ^_^). But since I had this done, I figured I would just get it up there to maybe spark a little bit of interest. BWA HA HA! Keep watching the skies!


	2. Chapter 1: The Unbound Soul

**CHAPTER 1: THE UNBOUND SOUL**

_Television program in progress…_

REPORTER: Leaders and scientists around the world are baffled at what has been taking place, or rather NOT taking place all across the globe for the past three months.

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL (to a crowd at the White House): We have confirmed with obstetricians from every nation willing to disclose that conceptions in both humans and animals have ceased completely as of three months ago. We're not sure why, and scientific tests have shown nothing to explain this phenomenon.

MAN FROM AUDIENCE: Sir, what substantiation can we give to reports that biological weapons have been used across the planet leading to this condition?

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL: There has been no evidence of that. I repeat: there has been no evidence of foul play by rogue nations, groups, or regimes. This is widespread, and it has hit every nation out there, even ours.

WOMAN FROM AUDIENCE: What of the rumors that Iran is behind this? Isn't it true that they are the only nation to deny any problems?

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL: It is true that Iran has not participated in the global study, but what you've brought up is just what you described them as: rumors. Reports from independent underground sources from within that country report the same thing as everywhere else – babies aren't being conceived.

MAN FROM AUDIENCE: What is the government's plan of action to deal with this?

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL: Right now we have no plan of action. (Commotion from the audience). Since no one can pinpoint why this is happening, there isn't anything we can do to try and remediate.

The man sitting on the couch switched off the TV and put his head in his hands. The lights were off in the room, leaving the man in the shadows of the evening; only the light from the streetlamps outside illuminated the room, and even then only slightly, enough to see objects but not discern features.

"Mark?" asked a woman from the shadowed doorway leading to the kitchen. Mark didn't respond; instead he stood up, walked towards the front door of the house, opened it and stepped out into the driveway. There with hands in his pockets he looked up into the cloudless evening sky, the moonlight glinting off a tear at the corner of his right eye.

Here under the lights of the streetlamps Mark stood for quite a while. A slight breeze rolled down the street, wafting through his short, rather spiky dark brown hair. Mark wasn't a tall man, standing a few inches short of six feet, nor was he a terribly thin man. The years of solitude and depression and the accompanying eating binges (chocolate always eased the pain) had left him slightly stocky; not fat by any stretch, but not as in good shape as he hoped he was in. All that said, he was still a handsome young man of twenty-eight years of age, though in this moment below his somewhat bushy eyebrows his green eyes were filled yet again with sorrow – though now the sorrow was not of loneliness, but of impending doom.

"A few years…" he said softly. "Without a cure, animals will die and humans will be gone…and we'll never have a child…" The trees across the road began to sway as the wind picked up, sending several small, dead branches to the ground where they bounced off the abandoned railroad line opposite Mark's home in the city of Sandy, Utah, in the heart of the Western United States. Regardless, he stood there still, silent and unmoving, the only vector changing in his persona being the tears rolling down his cheeks. The wind drove a little harder through the area, growing little by little, so slowly that Mark didn't even notice when debris started flying past him down the street. It was then that something caught his attention.

From the corner of his right eye he saw it – a figure, standing stoically beneath a streetlamp a block away. From his vantage point Mark couldn't see any distinguishing features, although it did appear that the figure was wearing a dress. Mark began to feel a deep unease in his stomach as he looked upon the figure in the distance, but almost as soon as he began noticing slight features the figure vanished, seemingly taking with it the windstorm and leaving Mark in the veritable silence of the spring evening.

"What the heck was that?" he asked himself quietly, his eyes widened in disbelief. Whereas he had seen some pretty strange things in his life, he had never once seen a person simply vanish. After a moment he shook his head and looked away, turning his gaze towards his little garden which had yet to spring up. Instead all that was there was a barren plot of dirt. "So even plants aren't growing, huh? That gives even less time…"

"Mark?" called out a woman's voice from the house. Mark turned to see his wife, Alicia, standing in the doorway, her hands clasped at the top of her chest. "Are you all right?" Mark hesitated; he hated showing emotion in front of his wife, but was unfortunately terrible at hiding his feelings. Alicia Anders was a lovely woman by all accounts; thin, tall, soft-eyed, and kind. Her eyes were green like Mark's, though a little more radiant, and her hair was long, a deep, dark maroon in color. She, like Mark, was without family, being the only survivor of a long-ago accident that claimed her parents and siblings.

"I'm…fine…" he stuttered slowly.

"I heard the news report too," said Alicia. "Do you think it's true? Do you think we're going to die out?"

"I don't know…" said Mark, now looking up at the stars again. "I just don't know. I saw something really weird just a second ago, though."

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw what looked like a man in a dress over by the corner under the streetlight." Mark pointed down the street. "He just appeared, stood there for a minute, then vanished into thin air."

"I think you're imagining things…" started Alicia, but her words trailed off. A strange feeling enveloped her, and her body began to tremble. _What is this awful sensation?!_ she thought, placing her hand flat across the top of her chest. "Mark, do you feel this too?"

"Huh?" replied Mark. "What's wrong?" Alicia then fell to her knees on the grass, her eyes widened in fear of something completely unknown.

"M-Mark…" she stammered. "Help…me…" Mark ran over to his beleaguered wife and knelt down near her side.

"Alicia?!" he exclaimed, but then, at that same moment, he began to feel something strange as well – a pressure, almost a strangling sensation over his entire body. "What…is this?" Within seconds Mark was on his hands and knees as well, unable to withstand the suffocating presence now overwhelming both him and his wife. It was then that a third voice entered the scene, a deep, malevolent voice, seemingly out of the air itself.

"You're Mark Anders, correct?"

Mark struggled and lifted his head up and looked from side to side. No one was near them, yet he was sure the voice originated mere feet away from them. He then looked back at his wife, expecting to see her in a similar state of searching – but to his horror she merely sat there on her hands and knees, staring wide-eyed at the ground, sweat dripping from the tip of her nose. Alicia's breathing was fast and labored, but she seemed to be completely detached from reality.

"Are you Mark Anders or not?"

"W-who's there…?" stammered Mark. The disembodied voice gave a brief sigh, sounding almost as if it were annoyed.

"Just answer the question, I'm in a hurry."

"I-I…" started Mark, but then a series of events completely beyond the scope of his imagination occurred, each one seemingly more fantastic than the next. It began with the sound of a train whistle – not the more modern, eardrum-shattering horns, but an old-fashioned whistle, apparently originating from the abandoned rail line across the street.

"What the…?" asked the disembodied voice. A light then appeared out of nowhere from the direction of the tracks, and it shone out across the street towards where Mark and Alicia were being accosted. This light then cast itself upon them, and Mark's eyes widened in shock despite the stifling presence. A man stood next to them, shielding his eyes from the light, his teeth clenched as though it was painful, but what was most shocking about this man was his appearance.

The man was wearing a long, black kimono with a katana attached by a sash around his waist (Mark was familiar with Japanese history, weapons, and wardrobe, despite his American upbringing). His feet were shod in slippers that looked strangely similar to common flip flops with socks, and his right hand was grasping the hilt of his katana. Wild was his hair, dark, almost black, but the most striking feature was the symbol upon the back of the man's kimono – large, golden figures, something in kanji that Mark couldn't decipher:

(Since doesn't allow pics, you'll have to use your imagination. Sorry.)

"You should leave now if you value your life…" said yet another voice, this time a more baritone timbre, this voice emanating from the direction of the light. The man in the kimono didn't seem to hesitate at all in fleeing, vanishing away into the night like a specter. All that remained was a piece of paper that floated to the ground, landing upon the grass silently. At this point the light disappeared, as did the piece of paper, and the suppressing feelings over Mark and Alicia vanished.

"What was that?" asked Alicia between deep, labored breaths as she slowly got back to her feet. "That light…that man…what is happening?"

"I think…" started Mark, likewise standing back up and wiping the sweat from his forehead, drenching his sleeve. "I think we should go inside…"

"Aiseki…" said the new voice out of the darkness. Both Mark and Alicia froze in their footsteps. "Aiseki Kennomichi, I know that's you."

"Who's there?!" said Mark sternly, he now having had quite enough of this bizarre episode. "Show yourself!"

"Oh dear, what have they done to you?" asked the voice, now clearly much closer to them, sounding as though it was sourced just at the sidewalk in front of their home. "You can't see me?"

"See you? What are you talking about?"

"Hold on, I think I know how to fix this," said the voice curtly, and then it was silent.

"This is too weird, Mark…" said Alicia softly after a moment, but immediately upon those words the voice returned.

"Here, this should help for now." The light again illuminated through the trees, now revealing yet another stranger, surely enough standing at the base of the grass near the road. This man too was dressed peculiarly, with long, gray baggy pants, and a black shirt with a knee-length green trench coat. He had short hair, white in color, with the exception of a long lock that ran from his left temple down to his chest. His face, unlike the first stranger, was kind in appearance, with a gently sloped nose and a smile upon his lips, his eyes gray in color, though still warm in sight.

"W-who are you?" asked Mark rather sheepishly while Alicia looked on with a look of horror. The man then bowed before them, placing his hand across his chest and revealing that he, too, had a katana, this hidden behind his trench coat.

"I am Shakuho Hitokage," he replied. "I am an Unbound Soul, once a Death God, or a shinigami sent here to live in the real world. But more than that I am your old teacher, Aiseki. Don't you remember at all?" Mark's already frazzled mind now became completely confused.

"Ais…Ayseck…" he stammered, trying to pronounce it correctly but giving up. "Who are you talking about? My name's Mark, not Aise-whatever. I think you got the wrong guy, Mr. Sha…ku…"

"Please, call me Shak," said Shakuho with a smile. Both Mark and Alicia dropped their shoulders in disgust.

"Please don't make us call you that…" said Mark. Alicia nodded in agreement with her husband, though Shakuho didn't seem to follow them. "How come you appeared with that light?"

"I figured you couldn't see me as a spirit, so that device let's you do just that," he replied plainly. At once Mark and Alicia's heart rates increased.

"S-spirit?" stammered Mark. "You mean…you're a ghost?!"

"Ghost is such an ugly word," replied Shakuho, now stepping towards them. "I am a spirit, just as you are, Aiseki."

"I really think you got the wrong guy, Mister," said Mark, tapping his arm in demonstration. "See? Flesh. I'm not a spirit."

"Oh really," replied Shakuho. "Looks like whoever put you in that gigai really did the works on you. you can't see spirits, you have no memory, you don't even know you're in a fake body!" Shakuho then walked right up to the now trembling Mark and peered into his eyes as though scouring them as though looking through a word search.

"Hey, stop that…" said Mark, but it did not take long for Shakuho to find what he was looking for.

"This isn't one of Uruhara's gigai…" muttered Shakuho.

_Aiseki? Uruhara? Shinigami??? What the frick is this guy talking about?_ thought Mark. _And what the hell is a gigai?!_

"Listen, Shaku…ho…" started Mark, still struggling with the name. "You're kinda invading my personal space right now, so…" Shakuho seemed to be ignoring Mark, since he now had his left hand raised wearing a strange red glove with a skull on it.

"This is going to feel a little strange," said Shakuho, and with that he rammed the glove through Mark's head. Alicia screamed as Mark's body fell limply to the ground…but a younger looking, naked Mark still stood, his face screwed up in horror as he though his last moments had been extinguished.

"OH MY GOD!!!" cried Mark, but after a moment he opened his eyes and look down. "M-my body…?"

"That's not a real body, I'm afraid," said Shakuho, now putting his glove away. "Don't worry, Miss, you aren't a shinigami, just a regular human. You won't get the same treatment."

"W-what did you do to Mark?!" asked Alicia, still in shock at seeing her husband fall lifeless while a replica of him stood naked in the yard. Shakuho turned to her and smiled.

"Give me a second, and Aiseki himself will be able to answer that question for you." Shakuho then reached into his trench coat and pulled out a somewhat comically large bag, set it on the ground, and began rummaging through it. At the same time, the neighbors to the left had turned on their porch lights to see what the commotion was, but as of yet Alicia hadn't noticed.

"Why am I naked?" asked Mark, finally noticing his nudity, but as he asked this Shakuho threw a black kimono, similar to the one the first stranger had been wearing, onto his chest.

"Put this on," said Shakuho, followed by handing Mark a pair of slippers and a red sash. "These too." The stranger then pulled out a very strange looking device that looked more like a root than anything, and placed it into Mark's hands once he had finished dressing.

"A root…" he muttered, looking down at the object, and to his surprise it began to move. "What the…?"

"Hold still," said Shakuho. "Muestra, please break the seal on Aiseki's spirit." The object then began to stir more, and what looked like smaller roots sticking out from the main body turned into feet while a large eye opened up on the top.

"GAH!" cried out Mark, but he did as much as he could to hold still as Shakuho demanded. The eye then looked up into his own, and Mark began to feel something strange first starting as an afterthought, then growing until it filled his entire mind and body.

"RELEASE," said the object called Muestra in a robotic tone. "SEAL REMOVED." Mark's eyes became wide, and the object hopped back into Shakuho's bag.

"M-Mark?" stammered Alicia, reaching out to her husband who, strangely enough, she could still touch. The light from the trees extinguished for a second time, and now, to Alicia's surprise, she could see Shakuho and her standing, seemingly-living husband without it. _That's strange…_ she thought.

"So, how do you feel?" asked Shakuho. Mark's lower lip began to tremble, his eyes filled with tears, and immediately he began to weep bitterly. "That good huh? Well, I expected about the same."

"OH GOD! SHE KILLED HIM!" screamed a older woman's voice from the left. "ALICIA MURDERED HER HUSBAND! JERRY, CALL THE POLICE! I'LL GO TACKLE HER SO SHE CAN'T RUN AWAY!!!" The three turned to see a large older woman dressed in a nightgown speeding across the lawn towards Alicia, bearing down on her like a semi.

"Uh oh," said Shakuho. "That doesn't sound good. Aiseki, grab your body and come with me. You too, Miss." Shakuho began running across the street towards the railway where now, to both Mark and Alicia's surprise, a small, old-fashioned locomotive and caboose stood. Mark did as requested, picking up his body (which seemed unusually light and easy), and he and his wife ran away from Jerry's wife towards the tracks.

"SHE'S RUNNING AWAY JERRY!" screamed the woman. "AND SHE'S TAKING MARK'S BODY WITH…her…" the woman's voice trailed off as she noticed that Mark's body was simply floating through the air in front of Alicia as she ran. "What in the hell?"

"Hurry, get on!" commanded Shakuho as he hopped into the small door on the side of the caboose. The train whistle sounded, and the wheels began to slide on the tracks as the engine began to warm up. Mark jumped in first, followed by Alicia, and when they were safely in Shakuho pulled a cord stretched across the rooftop of the plain, empty caboose car. "This is going to be a little rough, so, hang on to something. Mark looked around the empty car, his countenance becoming less than impressed.

"There isn't anything to…-" he began, but was cut off as the train suddenly lurched forward, throwing him to the back of the car and slamming him into the wall. "GAH!"

"Mark…" said Alicia softly. Mark looked up with one eye as he caressed the bump now protruding from the back of his head to see several little handles built into the wall, one of which Alicia was firmly grasping. Outside the night scenery was completely blurred from the blinding speed of the train, and as Mark observed further it seemed that they weren't traveling on tracks at all now.

"Where are we going?" asked Mark after a moment, his gaze still fixed at the rapidly changing scene outside. His mind was in a similar state – millions of images and experiences flooding back, seemingly out of his imagination, but each was so real and so intense that it had to have been real.

"We're going to Japan, to a city known as Karakura," replied Shakuho. "There's somebody there we need to see. Don't worry, Aiseki, you will remember everything before we get there."

"Does this have anything to do with the loss of conceptions in the world?" asked Alicia after a moment. Shakuho looked back at her with his warm, gray eyes, though now they seemed concerned, not to mention disturbed. He then reached into his coat again and pulled out the piece of paper the first stranger had left and looked at it intensely for several moments

"What is this list?" he muttered to himself. "So many high-profile names, yet some inconspicuous…and why would it have anything to do with the cessation of spirit?" Shakuho put the list down upon the ground and lowered his head in meditation, the writing on the list now visible to both Mark and Alicia. As their eyes read through the list shock again entered their hearts.

"What in the world?!" gasped Mark. Upon the paper were listed thirteen names:

_Husam El-Shaddai (crossed out)  
Pierre Montmartre (crossed out)  
Tran Nguyen (crossed out)  
Preston Montreal (crossed out)  
Ichigo Kurosaki  
Inoue Orihime  
Sado Yasotora  
Ishida Uryuu  
Thomas Monson (crossed out)  
Lord Charles Chittewick III (crossed out)  
Samantha Vanderwine (crossed out)  
Xian-tzu Hong (crossed out)  
Mark Anders_

**Next chapter: EMERGENCY IN KARAKURA TOWN**

BONUS! I hope that doing a different topic will put my mind at ease. Lately the _Akira_ story has been getting some really rude reviews, and I feel like I might have lost my touch as a writer. Anyway, doing something new might break that feeling. I hope you enjoyed chapter one. Please tell your friends, coworkers, cousins, church leaders, and even complete strangers to read along as well! Expect a new chapter within the next two weeks (I'm finishing up _Akira_ this week, so I'm a little busy to get the next chapter out within a week).


	3. Chapter 2: Emergency in Karakura Town

**CHAPTER 2: EMERGENCY IN KARAKURA TOWN**

It was a rainy day in Karakura, as it had been the last week; the earth itself seemed to be in mourning along with all other humans, and as such the general mood was darkened and sorrowful. News of the worldwide pandemic had even slashed through the hearts and souls of the people of Japan, including one Ichigo Kurosaki, a tall, lanky, vibrantly red-haired boy of sixteen. Raindrops fell lightly into his hair and onto his shoulders as he trudged along the road that led to his home, and his gaze never lifted above the horizon as he walked, instead staring lazily down the road as he walked home from school.

"No Hollows for weeks…" he muttered to himself. "No children being made…and when I get home I'm sure Yuzu will be crying, Karin will be quiet in her room, and Dad…ugh…"

Surely enough, Ichigo's role as a substitute shinigami, the only one in the world, was rather dull as of late. Clearly the pandemic loss of conception in humans and animals was a severe worry, but as a spirit Ichigo knew there was more, an active and full life beyond this one. He took comfort in that fact, using it as a security blanket whenever he felt the weight of the crisis crushing him down.

More troubling to Ichigo, however, was the resultant dire moods his friends seemed to be in. Inoue wasn't talking to anyone anymore, Chad was even more quiet than normal (if that was even possible), and Ishida hadn't been to school in a week. Even his more boisterous friends like Keigo were subdued. In fact, the whole city of Karakura seemed to be in the same malaise; shops were closing early, classes were dominated by extended periods of silence, people stopped greeting each other on the streets, among other reductions in positive social interaction. Even crime rates had fallen, as though the criminally minded couldn't bear the thought of human extinction either.

Ichigo turned the last corner necessary to reach his home, and as he did so he sensed it: a dark spiritual force, weak, frail, but definitely existent and very nearby. Although his ability to sense and control spirit energy was weaker than most shinigami, this dark force was close enough that he could have found it with a blindfold. Ahead of him a few dozen yards was an alleyway off to the left, the interior heavily shadowed, and he cautiously approached it, his steps soft and silent. The closer he got, the more he heard what sounded like heavy, painful breathing, and when he finally reached the alley and looked inside his suspicions were correct – it was a hollow, an evil spirit in a monstrous form of a hideous bull with a large cow skull mask; these spirits' only desires were to consume the souls of the good and living, or rather pure souls. The hollow were invisible to the eyes of almost all humans; however, certain experiences could unlock the human eye, revealing a grander and often more frightening aspect of the world. Ichigo prepared for an attack, grabbing his shinigami patch out of his pocket, but before he could force out his own spirit the hollow spoke.

"G…go away…" muttered the hollow in a deep, crackling, yet strangely shallow voice. Ichigo was a little taken aback; this was not the typical response of a hollow to such a fine, tasty meal.

"Hey," called out Ichigo to the evil spirit. "What gives? Aren't you going to attack me?"

"I don't have the strength to…" replied the hollow slowly. "Spirit particles of high quality are all gone…there's nothing to replenish my energy with…eating you would be too much trouble…"

"What do you mean "spirit particles of high quality"?" asked Ichigo, but the hollow didn't respond; instead it flopped over onto its back. "Hey! I'm asking you a question!"

"All the others are dead…" continued the hollow in a labored voice. "Some went back to Hueco Mundo…but that place is just as bad…"

"The hollow are dying?" asked Ichigo, a little shocked. "So this crisis thing is affecting you too?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" continued the hollow, its voice getting weaker and weaker by the second. "It's…over now…" With those words the hollow disintegrated into the air, leaving Ichigo perplexed.

_This is so messed up…_ he thought, and with that he headed back to his home. The porch light to the his father's clinic/home was on when he arrived, illuminating the raindrops as they fell within Ichigo's view, and already he could tell that his previous prediction was right even before he opened the door. Surely enough, as he stepped into the kitchen of his home his little brunette sister Yuzu was at the table crying, her head buried into her arms, while Isshin, his father, sat morosely against the wall featuring the oversized picture of his late wife. Since this whole thing had come to light, Isshin had all but given up on his flamboyantly violent welcomings, and even though they drove him crazy he still felt somewhat empty without them.

"Hey," said Ichigo briefly as he walked straight through the kitchen and towards the stairs. Isshin simply lifted his chin with a soft grunt, while Yuzu looked at him for a moment before bursting again into tears. Further upstairs, Ichigo passed his other younger, more emo sister Karin's room, and it was closed and silent just as he expected. Rather than disturb her, Ichigo elected to go past to his own unlit room where he flopped onto the bed, lying on his back and staring at the window. Streaks of water from the storm coursed down it like tears down a face, and even Ichigo felt the urge to weep until…

"I-CHI-GOOOO!!!" Out of the shadows a small figure appeared flying rapidly through the air, and it landed squarely upon Ichigo chest.

"Hey, Kon…" said Ichigo softly to the small stuffed lion doll. Kon was a modified spirit – created for combat against hollows – but due to the nature of these souls (being kept within a small capsule) they needed to be transplanted into other objects in order to manifest themselves. In Kon's case, Ichigo wanted something that would make him less threatening to his honor*, and thus the stuffed animal was chosen. Over time, however, Kon had gotten used to his fluffy form, and after a year of this existence had finally accepted it. The annoyance of Kon, however, remained, much to Ichigo's dismay.

"Hey, nee-san…" said Kon in a nasal, inquisitive voice. "Why is everyone so down lately? Yuzu won't stop crying, Karin hasn't come out of her room in a day, and your dad hasn't been at all like he normally is."

"Something bad has happened…" said Ichigo softly. "A couple days ago all the shinigami were called back to Soul Society, and now we just found out that children are no longer being conceived in our world. Something bad has happened, Kon. Even the hollows are dying out, and I haven't heard anything about what, if anything, is happening in Soul Society."

"Hmm…" grunted Kon, scratching his fluffy chin with his paw. "Ah! What about Uruhara-san? He knows everything about everything!"

"I guess I could, but I have a feeling even he doesn't have the answer to this," said Ichigo slowly. "Kon, thanks for the advice. Let's go." Ichigo stood up, expecting Kon to hop onto his shoulder; however, nothing happened. "Kon?" Ichigo looked down at the stuffed lion with tears running down his fabric cheeks, his eyes glistening with joy beyond comprehension.

"You…you like my idea…?" stammered the lion through tears. "THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!!! ICHIGO I LOVE YOUUUUUU!" the lion then leapt from the flow onto Ichigo's neck where his joyful weeping continued. "Ichigo…Ichi…!"

"All right, that's enough," said Ichigo after a moment, grabbing Kon and placing him into his bag. Kon was immediately silent as they left the room, but this time Ichigo couldn't ignore the need to be a big brother. He placed his hand on the door handle to Karin's room, opened it, and stepped inside.

"Ichigo?" asked a young girl's voice from the pitch-black shadows. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm heading out to see a friend, and I just wanted to see how you were doing before I left."

"Ichi…" said Karin softly. "I know that you do stuff out there that we're not supposed to know about, but…you've noticed the difference out there lately, right? Those monsters from before…they're all gone now…"

"I know," he replied after a moment. Ichigo had done his best to hide his second nature from Karin, but she was too persistent for him; as such she had pieced together bit by bit what exactly he was doing, though still she only had a very vague image "They've been dying on their own."

"Dying?" asked Karin inquisitively, now stepping from the shadows into the field of light from the hall lamp. "Why would they be dying? I thought those things ate spirits…"

"I don't know, Karin," interrupted Ichigo. "I haven't even seen any pure spirits for days now. You should go downstairs with Dad and Yuzu, and I'll be back in a few hours." Ichigo then moved towards the door and was almost out of sight when Karin called for him again.

"Ichi?"

"Yeah?" replied Ichigo, looking back into the room. Karin's eyes were now filled with tears.

"I'm really scared…" she continued, sadness leaking into her voice and making it sound somewhat unstable. "I've had a really bad feeling for a while now, and it has been getting worse and worse. Something really bad is going to happen; I can feel it…so please, please be careful." Karin walked towards Ichigo, placed her arms around his torso and held him tightly. "Please don't get hurt…" Ichigo ran his hand through Karin short, black hair and smiled.

"I'll be fine…" he said softly, though inside he had been feeling the same way as Karin. Something bad was definitely about to happen, that much was for sure, but even he felt powerless against whatever it was. Karin finally let go and Ichigo walked back downstairs where Isshin and Yuzu were still in the same state as before.

"Yuzu, Dad…" said Ichigo grabbing his jacket near the door. "I need to go out for a little while and see a friend."

"Uruhara, huh…" grunted Isshin in a deep, quiet voice immediately Ichigo stopped and turned to face his father..

"Wait..what?!" gasped Ichigo, prompting an awkward response in his father.

"Oh, oh, nothing!" he exclaimed with a boisterous laugh and ridiculous smile. "Just clearing my throat! Ha ha ha! UR GUR HURGH UH! See? Ha ha ha!"

"Ichi…" stammered Yuzu from the table. "There is dinner for you…in the…fridge…" Once again Yuzu lost her composure, bursting into tears and weeping into her arms. Ichigo then walked over and put his hand on her shoulder and lifter her face up.

"Hey, quit crying…" he said softly with a smile. "Something good will happen out of all this, you'll see." Yuzu sniffed as she looked into her older brother's eyes, and finally she smiled back.

"Be safe, Ichi," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And don't come back too late."

"Sure," replied Ichigo. "See ya." He then waved to his father and walked back outside into the rain. The walk to Uruhara's shop seemed much longer than normal this evening; just as before, the entire world seemed to be deeply sedated and depressed. When he did reach the shop, however, he was relieved to see that it was fully lit and illuminated inside and out.

Uruhara's shop was unique inasmuch as it was also invisible to almost all humans, since it was, in fact, a spirit-operated business. Kisuke Uruhara, the shopkeeper, was a dealer in spiritual items and technologies, and while he had been banished unjustly from Soul Society a century earlier, the shinigami still found their way into his influence. As such his shop was often filled with customers seeking particular modified souls such as the popular Chappy brand, various candies for spirits, and of course the highly popular custom gigai – a false body that could allow spirits to interact with humans and the real world. Ichigo opened the wooden sliding door to the shop expecting to see a herd of customers, but was let down. Inside it was well lit, yes, but it was completely empty as far as people went.

"Hey! Uruhara-san!" called out Ichigo, but there was no reply. Ichigo took a few more steps into the shop, looking around cautiously (there was a noisy red-haired brat that worked for Kisuke, and this child had a pension for sneak attacks). "Where the heck is he?" A rumbling sound entered the shop, pricking Ichigo's ears and inciting him to silence, but only for a moment, as it became clear where the shopkeepers were.

"Figures they'd be in the basement…" muttered Ichigo, and he ran to the back of the shop wherein the door on the floor was open with a ladder sticking up, the light from the subterranean chamber peeking up through the long tunnel of darkness below. Ichigo stepped into the hole without hesitation and climbed down the ladder. Far, deep below the surface Ichigo went, until he crested the edge of Uruhara's secret room - a seemingly endless chamber of staggering volume, complete with its own light source (though Ichigo still hadn't found it) and moldable terrain. Here he and his comrades from Soul Society practiced in secret from the higher-ups (associating with the banished Kisuke Uruhara wasn't exactly the best thing to do openly). As Ichigo descended closer and closer to the floor, he turned around for a look and saw several figures off in the distance near a pool of water, but from this distance he could not make out any details or identifications.

"Oy! Uruhara-san!" he shouted after reaching the ground. Ichigo started running towards the pond, still distant, continuing his calling for quite some time until they were visibly within reach. "Hey! Kisuke! What's going…-" Ichigo suddenly stopped, his eyes wide and his face trembling. The group was now visible; Kisuke Uruhara was there, standing in his green and white hat and black cloak with his back to Ichigo. Yoruichi was there as well, a lovely yet eccentrically dressed woman with dark, rich skin and wild eyes, but she too was not facing Ichigo, instead her short purple hair his only welcome. But beyond these two was what captured Ichigo's attention and fear: three figures, lying prostrate upon the ground, motionless.

"Chad! Ishida! Inoue!" cried out Ichigo desperately, now sprinting towards his friends. As he approached Kisuke at full speed, the shop owner held out his arm and motioned Ichigo to stop.

"Ichigo, don't…" said Yoruichi in a soft voice. "We're already too late…"

"What?!" gasped Ichigo, now in line with Yoruichi and Kisuke, both with sullen, fallen looks upon their faces. There, on the ground before them near the water's edge lay Ichigo's three closest friends: Sado Yasutora, his huge, strong, tan body frozen and stiff as though carved from stone; Inoue Orihime, her lovely face, vibrant red hair, and warm, kind body stopped cold and unmoving, a look of sorrow upon her face; and Ishida Uryuu, his perfect face set in a scowl behind his glasses, a scowl that would not fade.

"They were killed earlier this evening…" said Kisuke slowly. "We don't know how, or by whom. They didn't stand a chance at whatever got them; they didn't even have time to fight back…" Surely enough, it appeared that all three of them had fallen without a single defensive reaction or counterattack.

"Their souls are missing as well," continued Yoruichi. "It is possible that there are still Bounts out there, but…this is beyond their capabilities." Ichigo hesitated a moment before speaking, instead looking in horror at his dead friends, all manner of negative feeling rushing through his body and soul.

"W-what do you mean?" asked Ichigo with a stutter.

"Bounts must physically assault their victims before drawing out their souls," continued Yoruichi. "There is no sign of any physical altercation at all. It seems as though they simply dropped dead."

"You mean their spirits were removed?" asked Ichigo. "Then they aren't really…-"

"If we cannot find their spirits, then they are in fact dead," interrupted Uruhara, but this still did not appease Ichigo's wild emotional state.

"So, let's put some modified souls in them for now!" he shouted, desperate for some sort of agreement. "That way when we find their spirits, their bodies will still be okay and we can bring them back…-!"

"Ichigo!" shouted Yoruichi in a commanding tone, bringing Ichigo to a complete halt, his eyes brimming with tears and his teeth clenched. "They are gone. It is against everything in nature to cheat death when it comes to you, naturally or unnaturally. What we must do is not try to break the laws of nature, but rather find their killers and eliminate them. That, and only that, is all we can do."

"Their souls have completely vanished, Kurosaki-kun…" added Kisuke. "They won't be in Soul Society, nor are they in Hueco Mundo. Ichigo…we have to find out who or what did this. Do you understand?" Ichigo did not reply, his face now turned back towards his friends lying upon the ground.

"Ichigo…" said Yoruichi softly, feeling within her pangs of empathy for Ichigo.

"ICHIGO!" shouted Uruhara, rattling every bone in Ichigo's body and capturing his attention completely. "Whatever did this did so in ways that we nor Soul Society have never seen. This is a very bad situation; considering the cessation of spirit here and in Soul Society…-"

"Wait, what?" asked Ichigo. "I ran into a dying hollow earlier tonight that said the 'high quality spirit' was all gone or something." Uruhara lowered his head and closed his eyes, shadowed beneath his hat.

"So the hollows are dying as well…" he muttered. "I would be a fool not to think this is all related…"

"You think that whatever caused the cessation killed them as well?" asked Yoruichi. Kisuke nodded slightly, then raised his head towards Ichigo.

"Spirit particles exist in this world as well, Kurosaki-kun," continued Uruhara in a fairly scientific voice. "It is what allows shinigami to take advantage and even ignore natural laws such as gravity and friction, but it also serves as a source of energy and life. Instead of oxygen, which the living person breathes, we spirits breath in and subsist on the spirit particles in the earth, water, and atmosphere. Like us, so too do the hollow and any other spectral entity, although it would definitely seem that hollow are much more susceptible to stagnation than Yoruichi-san and I are."

"Stagnation? Cessation?" asked Ichigo. "What are you talking about? What happened to the spirit particles?" Uruhara looked into Ichigo's eyes, forcing a chill down the teenager's spine.

"The flow of spirit in our worlds has stopped," said Uruhara. "Just as wind flows in the world of the living, so too does spirit. But this spirit has suddenly stopped, and bad things are happening. Imagine if the wind stopped in the real world; there would be devastation, extinction, famine…all these things are now happening on the spiritual side, and Soul Society, not to mention Hueco Mundo, is dying without it." Ichigo gulped at these words, fear wrenching his soul.

"But what about the children?" asked Ichigo after a moment. "Human's can't have children anymore. Is that related?"

"If it is, I don't know how…" replied Kisuke. "This is getting more convoluted every step into it, and now we've lost three of our allies…"

"What happened…?" gasped another voice, this emanating from Ichigo's school bag. Kon the stuffed lion leaped out of the bag onto the ground, his fluffy body set in a paralyzed state of terror as he looked upon the three dead teens before him. "W-why is Inoue on the ground? W-what is going on?!"

"Kon…" said Ichigo softly. Below Kon began to sniff, a tear welling up in his button eyes, and voluntarily he climbed back into the bag.

"I'll be in here for a while…" said the lion in an unusually serious, somber, and sullen tone, but as he did so another voice tore through the scene.

"URUHARA-SAMA!" called out a booming voice from the direction of the ladder. The three turned to see Tessei, the large, overly well-built assistant shopkeeper charging towards them, leaving a trail of dust behind him. On either side were two small children, a shy, skinny girl with large eyes and long black hair, and a blond freckled boy with a nasty look in his eyes.

"Tessei!" replied Uruhara to his assistant. "What is the emergency?" Tessei struggled for breath and he sat hunched over, his hands on his knees.

"You have visitors…" stammered Tessei, pointing behind him. In the dissipating dust trail a shadow appeared walking towards the group.

"Another visitor?" asked Uruhara, peering into the dust. "And who might this one…be…" Kisuke's words trailed off as the dust parted and revealed the approaching stranger.

"You?" gasped Yoruichi in shock as she gazed upon the stranger. "Why…?" Uruhara's reaction, however, seemed much more sinister.

"Shakuho Hitokage…" grumbled Uruhara, his eyes scowling from beneath his hat. "You better have a damn good reason for being here."

**Next chapter: AISEKI REMEMBERS! THE PAST LIFE OF MARK ANDERS**

BONUS! Okay, just stop. STOP. No hate letters, no angry emails, no burning of effigies. Just roll with the suspense and the story, okay? Okay??? Anyway, there was a little asterisk (*) earlier in the chapter; if there is confusion about the accompanying concept, I recommend reviewing the manga/anime where Kon first appeared. At that point my assertion will make complete and total sense. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 3: The Past Life of Mark Anders

**CHAPTER 3: AISEKI REMEMBERS – THE PAST LIFE OF MARK ANDERS**

The train ride was a difficult one, to say the least; Mark sat with his head in his hands the entire length of the trip as though trying to keep the flood of memory inside his head. Images flashed without ceasing before his eyes – sounds, voices, tastes, pains, loves…all of it seemed to much to handle, and that in and of itself brought him to nausea. When the train had stopped, Mark was still in a state of stupor as his wife and the mysterious new stranger Shakuho disappeared, leaving him in a dark corner of a strange shop in a place he was not familiar with. Again Mark's head found his hands, and he slumped onto the wooden floor of the Uruhara Shop.

"I…I…" he stammered to himself, the images in his head finally slowing. "I…I remember…" His eyes widened, sweat rolled down his face, and his memory took over.

_Aiseki Kennomichi, as those around him came to call him, was a very young and rather unusual boy when he first came to Rukongai. First off, he had very peculiar and rather unfortunate cowlicks in his hair, an overly strong chin, and a strange fascination with kites, but more shocking to the residents of Soul Society was the manner in which he constantly spoke of his mortal life. This was indeed unusual; upon entering Soul Society, all souls with exceptional rare cases lost all memory of their past lives soon after arrival, so to have a boy so eager to spill his own story to every soul he encountered was not only considered strange, but also dangerous._

_Each night Aiseki slept in the dusty streets of the poor district of outer Rukongai; the people were afraid of him, many thinking he was a monster, and as such he was avoided as though he was infected with a terrible disease. Still more took his words of memory to heart, and attempted to find their way back through the void separating the living world from the afterlife. Word finally reached the Central 46, the governing body of Soul Society, that a little boy from Rukongai was stirring up trouble. Within a year of arriving he was captured by shinigami from Sereitei and brought before the thirteen captains where his fate was to be met. The guards led him through the seemingly endless maze of Sereitei until reaching the inner court, where they threw him rather roughly into a large room with a group of intimidating, imposing people waiting inside._

_Thirteen in total, the group of adults, each wearing a white __coat__ (except for one, he dressed in pink) stared him down. However, the gaze of the older man at the head of the group was the most penetrating, the most disheartening, and most frightening of all._

_"Aiseki Kennomichi!" grumbled the Captain-commander Genryuusai Yamamoto, a very old shinigami, worn with age and battle, his long white beard hiding his mouth and hanging down to his knees. "What is this you have been doing?"_

_"I'm just talking to people…" stammered the young brown-haired boy, his face dirty and his __clothes__ unkempt. "I don't really know what's going on…I didn't know it was wrong to…"_

_"You have caused considerable concern among Soul Society, boy," continued Yamamoto. Aiseki looked up at him with his huge __green eyes__, filled with angst and fear as his lips trembled under the weight of the captain-commander's presence. "You have frightened half the population of your district, and more and more souls who have encountered you are trying to force their way back into the real world. This cannot happen!"_

_"I…I'm sorry…" stammered Aiseki, but his words seemed to have little effect upon the captain commander._

_"Inciting the spirits at rest to action like this is a serious crime," continued Yamamoto. "The Central 46 has already decreed a judgment upon you, however."_

_"What?!" gasped Aiseki. "Who're they? What judgment?"_

_"You are to be terminated…" said Yamamoto softly. "Immediately."_

_"No!" cried out the boy, tears now streaming down his face. "I-I just wanted to know where mom and dad went…I thought someone here might know…!" Aiseki stopped as he heard footsteps behind him grow closer, and he turned to see a hooded shinigami with a fearsome fork-like weapon in its hand. The captains in the room all grew looks of pity mixed with disgust as the usual foul justice of Central 46 was about to be meted out upon the small, young, and thoroughly frightened boy._

_"This isn't right…" muttered one of the captains donning a large pink, flowery cloak from beneath his large straw __hat__. The executioner then raised the weapon and prepared to strike the boy down. A flash of steel came down, but what happened then startled everyone in the chamber, most particularly Aiseki._

_As the blade neared his chest Aiseki swung his hands towards it as though he too were wielding a sword, and just as the imaginary and real blades would have connected a sharp pang of steel-on-steel filled the room, sending sparks in all directions from the impact. There, in Aiseki's hands, was a full sized katana, still sheathed in a black scabbard, almost as long as he was tall. Everyone gasped at this sight, including the executioner who, upon retracting its strike, fell backwards and collapsed upon the ground with heavy wheezing and panting. Aiseki's entire body trembled greatly, even to the point where the katana fell from his hands, disappearing into thin air, after which he himself fell to his knees below the bewildered stare of the captain._

_"I didn't mean to…!" he gasped in a higher-pitched, frightened voice. The executioner gave a heavy breath and fell still and silent, prompting additional guards to enter the chamber and take him away, leaving Aiseki once again alone with the captains. "I don't know why…I don't…" In this wise Aiseki was truthful; his movements were unprecedented and completely unexpected. While his desires were to hold his hands up in defense, they had moved on their own, and the appearance of the sword was a surprise as well. Aiseki's eyes continued streaming tears, now puddling upon the ground as he began to whimper. "I didn't mean to hurt him…"_

_"Hmmm…" grumbled Yamamoto with an inquisitive inflection. "This is most unexpected, but I suppose it is fate. The execution must be delayed."_

_"Wait…what?" asked Aiseki through his tears._

_"It would appear that you are no ordinary spirit, Aiseki Kennomichi," said the pink-robed captain, now stepping towards Aiseki and lowering his hand towards him. "Here, stand up. Captain-commander, I would ask that instead of a cruel and pointless death that this boy be entrusted to my care." The other captains began to murmur one to another, and Yamamoto gave a deep sigh._

_"Captain Kyouraku," he said slowly. "You are seeking to go against the will of Central 46. That is unwise."_

_"I know," said Captain Shunsui Kyouraku in a lazy, almost mocking tone towards the wishes of Central 46. "It's just that their sense of justice really seems to stink, don't you think? This boy is lonely and scared; he's just trying to find his way the only way he can."_

_"It seems most unfair to deprive him of a full life here in Soul Society," added another captain, a handsome man with long, silver hair and a kind face. "I second Captain Kyouraku's wishes. Perhaps this boy possesses some power that will make him a fine shinigami."_

_"Captain Ukitake as well?" grumbled Yamamoto._

_"Please, Captain-commander…" asked Captain Jyuushiro Ukitake. "Please use your influence to change the decision of Central 46. Surely there has to be some decency left within that body." Yamamoto lowered his head in frustration, but after a moment nodded._

_"It does seem strange for them to decree death on such a small boy…" he muttered beneath his breath. "I suppose I should now tell you I had no intention of letting this boy die so pointlessly, for I had to see him myself to see what all the commotion was about. I wanted to see if truly he was as grave a threat as they made him out to be. But if they uphold their decision, it must be carried out – otherwise we would need to make other arrangements to hide the boy from the eyes of the committee. Captain Kyouraku, you are not to let this boy out of your custody until further notice. You are all dismissed." The captains began filing out of the room, ultimately leaving Aiseki with Captains Kyouraku and Ukitake alone in the chamber. Aiseki wiped his red, swollen eyes with his sleeve, prompting Kyouraku to offer part of his cloak._

_"Here, this cloak is softer than those rags," he said softly. "Aiseki, huh? That's a strange name for a boy."_

_"It means sorrow…" said Aiseki as he wiped his eyes with Kyouraku's silky cloak. "That's what the people in the village called me. I don't like it…"_

_"Oh, I think it's a great name," countered Kyouraku with a smile. Aiseki finally looked into the captain's face for the first time; he had the looks of a middle aged man, handsome, strong, a square chin with a short beard, but for some strange reason overly masculine, what with the open-chested __garments__ revealing what seemed to be a primate amount of hair._

_"Captain K-Kyouraku?" asked Aiseki, his voice still trembling a little. "What are we going to do now? Why did the old man change his mind so suddenly about me? I thought I was supposed to die?"_

_"We are going to figure out what you are," answered Kyouraku. Above, Captain Ukitake nodded in agreement. "Sometimes the judgments from Central 46 are so outrageous that even the Captain-commander can't believe them. To maintain order, he'll let them appear to be carried out to do investigative measures of his own. You can relax now, though – you're going to be fine. No one is trying to kill you."_

_"You have a peculiar zanpakuto," said the silver-haired captain. "It seems that your progress towards becoming a shinigami is very advanced…" Aiseki merely looked at the two captains with complete confusion._

_"Zan…pack…?" stammered Aiseki hesitantly._

_"Don't worry," said Kyouraku reassuringly. "It will make sense over time. Come on, let's head back to my place." Captain Kyouraku then raised his head and called out in a loud voice. "Nanao-chan!" The door to the chamber creaked open revealing a lovely, dark-haired woman with fine skin and small glasses peering in._

_"Yes, Captain?" she asked, peering down briefly at the little boy._

_"This is Aiseki," he replied, pushing the boy forward. "Please take him to the squad chambers and get him some new clothes and," he paused, smiling a little. "Prepare the squad for some special training."_

_"Special training?" she asked. "What do you have in mind?"_

_"Oh, just an open field will do," said the Captain. "Jyuushiro, I'd like you to come as well."_

_"Sure," replied Captain Ukitake. Nanao Ise then came into the chamber and took Aiseki with her, after which the two captains left as well._

_"Wait…" stammered Aiseki looking back at Captain Kyouraku. "That old man said that you had to look after me…"_

_"Meh," replied Kyouraku boorishly. "Nanao-chan is not only beautiful, she is very capable and completely trustworthy. Have fun!" Captains Kyouraku and Ukitake turned a corner and vanished from Aiseki's view as Nanao pulled him along._

_Later that day Aiseki found himself standing in the middle of a large field wearing a ridiculous combo of a black kimono, a white sash around his waist, and uncomfortable __sandals__. He looked around a couple of times, but no one was to be seen; the pretty girl Nanao had brought him here several minutes before, but then had disappeared leaving him all alone in the field._

_"What's going on?" he muttered to himself, but no sooner had he done so than he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Aiseki turned and panicked immediately – a man in a similar black kimono with a sword was charging full-speed towards him. "GAAAAH!" screamed Aiseki, and he turned tail and began to run away. Only a few steps into his flight, however, he found another man bearing down upon him, likewise armed with a katana. Aiseki turned again, this time perpendicularly, but was unable to find an escape; all around men with swords were approaching, all with the look of murderous intent, and Aiseki moved to cover his head with his hands – but again, it seemed as though they had a mind of their own._

_The sheathed sword once again appeared in his hands, and as it did so the men stopped their charged. Aiseki's attention was rapt on the strange sword that seemed to come out of nowhere; it was quite plain in construction: a dark, wooden handle with three __brass__ pins, no wrappings, a plain, solid, and round pommel, and strange black substance binding the pommel to the black, metal scabbard. The men around began whispering one to another as they looked upon Aiseki's strange weapon._

_"Hey, boy!" called out one of the men. "Take out your zanpakuto!" Several others voiced similar opinions, but poor Aiseki remained just as confused as before._

_"What's a zan…pack…ootoe?" he asked slowly. The crowd was silent for a moment before bursting out in laughter._

_"What are you joking?!" laughed one of the men. "Its that sword, you idiot! Take out your sword!" Aiseki, in an attempt to stop them from laughing, immediately grasped the hilt and scabbard and pulled – but nothing happened. The sword wouldn't come out of the scabbard no matter how hard he tried._

_"It…it won't come out!" stammered Aiseki, still struggling to free the sword. The man taunting him began to smirk._

_"Well, maybe some influence will help," he said cruelly, and he slashed at the boy with his own sword. This time it felt different to Aiseki, however; no longer was the sword acting on its own, and he was able to move it according to his own will. The taunting man's strike was easy to defend, and Aiseki held his sword vertically and parried the blow successfully. With a clash of steel the swords collided, but just as before in the Captains' Chamber the attacker seemed odd after the attack._

_"W-what the…?" gasped the shinigami, falling back onto his haunches, his breathing becoming erratic. Several shinigami in the crowd rushed over to their comrade, now immobilized completely upon the ground, his eyes wide in shock._

_"What did you do to him?!" asked one of the assistants angrily. Aiseki started to back up, his mouth gaping though no words were being produced._

_"That is the same thing we saw earlier," said the calm voice of Kyouraku, now entering Aiseki's field of vision from the right. "Take him to the fourth squad's barracks for healing – he should be fine then. The rest of you are dismissed." The group bowed together and departed the field, leaving Captain Kyouraku, with Nanao behind him, with the still-frightened Aiseki._

_"We had Captain Unohana of the fourth squad observe the state of the executioner," said Nanao, stepping forward and kneeling down next to Aiseki. "This zanpakuto seems to have poisoned him, just as it did our unfortunate comrade here. Tell us, do you know your zanpakuto's name?"_

_"It has a name?" asked Aiseki, looking down at his sword. "I didn't even know this thing existed till this morning…but I kinda like it. I hope it doesn't disappear again…"_

_"I think you should try to learn its name, Aiseki," added Kyouraku. "Anyway, we'll let you hang around our barracks for the rest of the day, but tomorrow morning we will begin training."_

_"Training? For what?"_

_"You are to become a shinigami," answered Nanao, now standing up and walking back to her captain. "It's not every day that a genius arrives in Soul Society." Captain Kyouraku and Nanao then walked away, leaving Aiseki alone in the field._

_"You have a name?" asked Aiseki to the sword in a whisper. "My name is Aiseki…what is yours?" He waited a moment, but there was no reply, instead only faint whispers of wing rushing across the field. "Hmm…I need to get somewhere quieter then," said Aiseki to himself, and he ran back to the barracks._

_Inside a closet Aiseki hid for the remainder of the day, talking to his sword and listening for an answer, but to his dismay even in the dark silence he couldn't hear any such response. Minutes turned to hours, and with the hours came fatigue, until Aiseki could no longer maintain consciousness…_

_**Aiseki awoke to find himself standing in a wide, dark, circular room with a tall, domed ceiling. The floors and walls of the chamber were hewn out of stone, smooth and unblemished, polished so finely that Aiseki could see his own reflection in them. Alone he stood in the chamber, though he could feel something strange, as though someone were there with him.**_

_**"Welcome to my home…" said the voice of a very young boy, echoing throughout the room. "Do you like it?" Aiseki looked around wildly to see the source of the voice, but could see nothing.**_

_**"Who…who are you?" he stammered, at which the boy began to giggle.**_

_**"Look around, silly!" he laughed. Aiseki again looked around the room, seeing only his reflection.**_

_**"But I don't see…"**_

_**"Look closer, Aiseki…" said the boy, and finally Aiseki noticed – the image he was seeing reflected was not of himself. While Aiseki was dressed in the black kimono, the boy in the reflection was wearing a tattered gray shirt and old, worn short pants. His eyes were bright and blue, and his hair stood atop his head wild and jet black. A smile was gleaming from his young, adorable face as he gazed onto Aiseki from the walls and floors.**_

_**"Yay! You found me!" exclaimed the boy with laughter. "I'm so happy you're finally here to see me!"**_

_**"Where am I?" asked Aiseki, peering more carefully at his surroundings. "Am I underground?"**_

_**"You're inside your soul, silly!" laughed the boy. "Don't you recognize it? It's cold and stony, just like how you feel all the time. It didn't use to be this way, though…it used to be warm and sunny, but I kinda like it both ways, don't you?"**_

_**"This is my soul?" asked Aiseki aloud. The boy hummed an affirmative tune.**_

_**"Yup, it's your soul all right!" he said joyfully. "So do you know who I am then?" Aiseki looked into the little boy's eyes; something about him seemed so familiar, so comfortable…**_

_**"You're my sword…" said Aiseki slowly. "Aren't you?"**_

_**"Yup!" said the boy energetically. "I'm what you would call a zanpakuto, a part of your soul that takes on the shape of a weapon. I'm my own being as well, but together we make up who you are, or rather who we are." Aiseki was silent; taking in this new information was proving to make him feel like this was just his imagination, but…it seemed too real to be just that.**_

_**"Captain Kyouraku said I needed to ask you your name," said Aiseki after a moment of pause. "My name is Aiseki Kennomichi, what is yours?" The boy grinned from ear to ear, his face exuding pure joy and happiness.**_

_**"My name is Awaregeken. It's very nice to finally speak with you…let's be friends forever!"**_

--

Kisuke Uruhara glared from beneath his green-and-white striped hat at Shakuho Hitokage as he approached, Shakuho's long, silver braid swaying back and forth as he walked.

"So, what are you doing here?" asked Uruhara, his voice becoming more unpleasant. "Or should we just forego introductions and take you back to Soul Society for punishment?" Shakuho stopped a few yards in front of Kisuke, but made no reply. The two seemed to be engaged in some sort of staring contest, this going on for nearly a minute before Kisuke's harsh façade cracked.

"I win again…" said Shakuho with a wry smile, at which point Kisuke smiled and ran towards him, embracing him.

"What in the world…?" asked Ichigo to himself, while Yoruichi simply shook her head in what appeared to Ichigo to be disgust.

"They still act like kids…" she muttered.

"I thought you would never leave America…" said Kisuke in a strangely elated tone. "Seriously, though, what brings you here?" Shakuho's smile again faded, and he pulled out a piece of paper from his trench coat.

"I have a man and woman from America upstairs that were attacked earlier by an unknown shinigami," said Shakuho. "When I rescued them, the shinigami vanished, but he left this…" Shakuho handed the paper to Uruhara, who immediately peered at it, his eyes growing wide in disbelief.

"This is…?!" he gasped.

"Yeah," replied Shakuho. "That's what I thought. But now three more names have been crossed out, almost by magic. Now there's only two left: Ichigo Kurosaki and Mark Anders." Ichigo rushed over and grabbed the paper out of Uruhara's hands in a huff.

"What are you talking…about…" he started, but then trailed off as he read the list. "No way…"

_Husam El-Shaddai (crossed out)  
Pierre Montmartre (crossed out)  
Tran Nguyen (crossed out)  
Preston Montreal (crossed out)  
Ichigo Kurosaki  
Inoue Orihime (crossed out)  
Sado Yasotora (crossed out)  
Ishida Uryuu (crossed out)  
Thomas Monson (crossed out)  
Lord Charles Chittewick III (crossed out)  
Samantha Vanderwine (crossed out)  
Xian-tzu Hong (crossed out)  
Mark Anders_

**Next chapter: AISEKI'S TEACHER – A DARK POWER APPROACHES**

**BONUS!** Yeah, that's right – I did a dream within a flashback. I have some trouble with the captain's names; since most are referred to in the anime and manga by their last name (Captain Kyouraku, Ukitake, Yamamoto, etc), I've decided to refer to them that way unless in conversation, where the speakers, if appropriate, will use their first names. I figure it's the same as in the anime/manga, so it should be fine. And again: if you're still upset about the last chapter, please just roll with it. Please.


	5. Chapter 4: Aiseki's Teacher

**CHAPTER 4: AISEKI'S TEACHER – A DARK POWER APPROACHES**

Mark Anders sat in the shadows near the back of Uruhara's shop, a flood of crystal-clear memories still pouring into his mind while his wife stood away several paces, unsure of the effect all this was having upon her husband. Alicia herself was also feeling the pressure on her soul with all this sudden change; it had only been half a day since the stranger attacked them, and prior to that nothing like this had ever happened to either of them.

"Mark…" she whispered in the direction of her husband, his hands now encompassing the circumference of his skull.

_As young Aiseki grew and became closer to his zanpakuto Awaregeken, the sorrow, which had generally consumed his day-to-day thoughts, began to flee. Indeed, since arriving in Soul Society, until he had met Captain Kyouraku and Awaregeken he had not even cracked a smile; now it seemed that was all Aiseki did, aside from showing up the other students at the academy in nearly every category. After just one month he had already been vaulted ahead four grades, and was making a name for himself across Sereitei._

_After his class for kidou techniques, Aiseki left the room to find Vice-Captain Nanao waiting for him with a clipboard in her hands pressed against her chest. She adjusted her glasses as he came into her view, after which she looked down at him and spoke._

_"Kennomichi-san, please come with me," she said curtly, immediately turning and walking down the hall towards the exit._

_"Y-yeah…" stammered Aiseki, a little confused at seeing a member of Kyouraku's squad here at school. Outside they went, crossing the grassy field that led to the Eighth squad's barracks. Nanao was walking briskly; as such Aiseki had to run to catch up with her, eventually reaching her and keeping up at her side._

_"So, Vice-Captain Ise…" started Aiseki. "What's going on? Why did you pull me out of school?"_

_"Captain Kyouraku wishes to speak with you about your future course of study," she replied. "You are a fine student, and we are considering accepting you into the squad early." Aiseki's heart leapt and a shout of excitement left his lips, rattling the surroundings with his high-pitched, juvenile squeal._

_"YES!!!" Aiseki's face was alight with elation as he hopped around uncontrollably at the news; Nanao, on the other hand, stood calmly as she glared down at the somewhat obscene display of happiness._

_"You aren't done yet…" she said after a moment, prompting Aiseki to freeze in place and look at her confusedly._

_"Huh?" he asked, his hands still raised in jubilation._

_"The Captain has elected only to accept you into his squad and relieve you of your school work," she continued. "However, you still require special training in combat and other shinigami duties. We have thus selected a private trainer for you, someone we feel will be able to help you develop your talents with as much speed and efficacy as possible."_

_"Who's that?" asked Aiseki, his face still showing signs of puzzlement. Nanao then turned her head and looked across the field._

_"His name is Shakuho," she said, pointing to a man approaching them. "He is the current third seat in the squad, and he is quite able to teach you. He has achieved bankai, and is already a captain-class shinigami."_

_"Captain class?" pondered Aiseki, now looking at the silver-haired man approaching them. "Why isn't he a captain then?" Nanao didn't respond; instead her cheeks began to turn red and her glasses fogged up for some inexplicable reason._

_"It's the women," replied the man Shakuho, looking quite handsome in his kimono. Just as he did when Mark met him the night before, the slightly younger Shakuho exhibited the same kind features, although the lock of hair was only at his shoulder. "Apparently I flirt too much, or play too much…or something. But I like to just think that there are only thirteen squads, and each has a captain already. I like it this way; it makes being me much easier." Shakuho smiled pleasantly at Nanao and Aiseki, turning his head slightly in such a way that his long, ruffled hair bobbled in the breeze. Nanao's face turned completely red at this point, and she began to stutter in her now hurried speech*._

_"W-Well, I will let you two continue with formalities," she said quickly, and with a blur of speed she vanished away, leaving Shakuho and Aiseki alone in the field, the only other inhabitants being a group of young students coursing across._

_'So, you're the new kid, huh?" asked Shakuho, scratching the back of his head somewhat awkwardly. "Captain Kyouraku and Captain Ukitake of the Thirteenth squad have told me a lot about you."_

_"Captain Ukitake has?" asked Aiseki. "I haven't seen him since they brought me here."_

_"Oh, they both have taken a great interest in you," continued Shakuho, now lowering himself to lie on the grass. "Come on, lie down and let's look at the clouds for a bit. It's too nice a day to jump to work already, don't you think?" Aiseki was a little hesitant to heed Shakuho's words; after all, since joining the academy, he had hardly any time to himself. Everything was always "rush rush rush", but seeing Shakuho's pleasant and laid back personality comforted him, and as such Aiseki complied with Shakuho's request._

_"You remind me of the captain," said Aiseki as he laid down. "He isn't like the others; he knows how to have fun, and he likes to relax a lot. Vice-Captain Nanao never does that – I've never even seen her sit down before." Shakuho chuckled at Aiseki's observation._

_"I didn't even introduce myself properly," said Shakuho after a moment. "I'm Shakuho Hitokage, third seat of the Eighth squad."_

_"Aiseki Kennomichi," replied the boy. "I'm nothing right now. Just a kid."_

_'There's no shame in that," replied Shakuho. "I was a kid once, I know what it's like." Shakuho was then quiet for a moment as the two watched the clouds pass overhead in the bright summer sky. "I heard that you remember your past life quite well."_

_"Uh…yeah…" said Aiseki hesitatively. "That's kinda what got me in trouble, but I haven't heard anything about it since."_

_"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but…" started Shakuho, his voice becoming quieter. "I want you to trust me, and in order to trust me we have to be open and honest with each other. Right?"_

_"I guess so…" replied Aiseki, a little unsure as to what was going on._

_"Captain-commander Yamamoto went to Central 46 to find out why they passed that judgment," continued Shakuho. "Turns out they only decreed your arrest, not execution."_

_"They what?" gasped Aiseki, leaning up onto his elbows. "Then who did?"_

_"We don't know," he replied. "I think someone is investigating into it, I don't know. All I know is that you are safe now."_

_"Well, that's good then," said Aiseki, leaning back down. "I guess if somebody is trying to figure it out, I can stop worrying."_

_"If you don't mind me asking…" said Shakuho, a curious inflection now in his voice. "Could you tell me about your life in the real world? I'm just curious is all; I can't remember my life at all." Aiseki gulped and took a couple deep breaths._

_"Sure," he replied softly. "I used to live in a small town in Idaho, a state in America. I was born in 1969…I'm not sure what year that is here, but I was only eight when I came here, so…I think I died in 1977. My old name was Jake…but…I don't like that name anymore. I like Aiseki. Anyway my parents and I were driving down to Salt Lake City to see my uncle when an elk ran out onto the highway right in front of the car near the Malad Pass. When I woke up, the car was all smashed up on the side of the road, and there were a bunch of farmers looking at the mess. I didn't realize I was dead until I walked over and saw our bodies…it was awful. I couldn't look at it anymore and I ran away; that's when I noticed the chain on my chest and that my parents weren't around. Nobody could see me, and I couldn't find my mom and dad…but there was one guy there that was looking at me."_

_"And who was that?" asked Shakuho. Aiseki shrugged and continued._

_"I don't know," he said. "He didn't look normal – I couldn't see his whole body, only from his chest up. He was looking at me like he was on the other side of a bright window…I can't even remember what he looked like. But he did say something to me before he disappeared, that he was happy to see me and that his name was…" Aiseki stopped speaking, his breath becoming short while tears welled up in his eyes._

_"Aiseki, what's wrong?" Shakuho asked, leaning up. "What was his name?"_

_"It was…" stammered Aiseki. "Ryojin…" Though Aiseki had retold this story hundreds of times, not once had this particular memory brought him to such an emotional state. "I don't know why I'm crying…I'm sorry."_

_"You're fine," consoled Shakuho. "Sometimes our memories make us do weird things; it's nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, please continue."_

_"He said his name was Ryojin, and that he was a traveler," continued Aiseki, sniffing hard and wiping his tears into his kimono. "He said that this wasn't supposed to happen and that he would take care of it. He then said something weird that sounded like vee-uh-haunt-ay and that he would see me again someday, and then he vanished, and I was all alone. I didn't know what he meant or what he had done. I tried to find my parents, but I never could. That was when the cute girl found me – I didn't know what was going on at the time, but now I know she was a shinigami like you – and sent me here. She said I might find them in Soul Society, but…" Aiseki turned to look at Shakuho, expecting a sympathetic visage, but was startled to see a look of deep concern in Shakuho's gray eyes._

_"Ryojin?" he asked after a moment. "I've never heard that name before…" Shakuho immediately got up and started walking away in the same direction Nanao had departed._

_"Wait!" called out Aiseki, and Shakuho turned and smiled again._

_"We'll start the formal training in the morning," he said pleasantly. "Go on home and rest up. I need to go see Nanao about something." Shakuho then continued his flight, and Aiseki, heeding the words of his new master, obeyed and walked in the opposite direction to his little room in the barracks._

_Later that night Aiseki was surprised to learn that his room was next door to Shakuho's, this revelation given through the thin walls as Aiseki, bereft of sleep due to his still emotional state, overheard hushed voices conversing on the other side. After only a moment of deduction it became clear that they belonged to Vice-Captain Nanao Ise and Third Seat Shakuho Hitokage. Aiseki silently scooted over to the wall and listened intently._

_"Hey, Nanao," said Shakuho, followed by the sound of a closing, sliding door. "I take it you're not here for a little midnight snack?" Aiseki then heard Nanao clear her throat in a very uncomfortable manner (only now in his older years did Mark realize what Shakuho was joking about, but by now the humor had all but left this memory)._

_"I checked out that name for you," she said softly after a moment, her voice starting out a little unstable, though improving with each word. "There is no record anywhere in Soul Society's libraries and shinigami databases of the name Ryojin. I even had some shinigami stationed in the real word check genealogical databases, and still no luck – no deaths with that name occurred anywhere near the time of Aiseki's. There seems to be no tampering or missing data either; it could have been a hallucination or another spirit messing around with him."_

_"But he was an American from Idaho," replied Shakuho. "He wouldn't understand Japanese names, yet he pronounced it perfectly. It means 'traveler', and yeah, it isn't used as a name that often. What about the other term I told you, 'vee-uh-haunt-ay'?"_

_"That's where this gets strange," replied Nanao. "The only appearance of that phonetic structure of any relevant meaning is in the Spanish language with the term 'Viajante'. Coincidentally, it too means 'traveler'."_

_"I don't think that could be coincidental," said Shakuho in a curious, low tone. "No way at all. There has to be something to this."_

_"If it used a Spanish term in describing itself, it could be related to Hueco Mundo," suggested Nanao, but Shakuho grunted in disagreement._

_"He said it was surrounded by light when he saw it. If it was an image from Hueco Mundo, it would have been dark."_

_"Then what do you think it was?" asked Nanao. "If it wasn't from here, or Hueco Mundo, or even the real world, then what could it have been?"_

_"I have no idea," replied Shakuho in a defeated, frustrated tone. "I have half a mind to forget about it, except that boy…"_

_"His adherence to his memory is unheard of," said Nanao. "There are too many irregularities about him to let this slide. His spiritual control and power are massive for his age, he has a unique and dangerous zanpakuto…it's just too strange."_

_"Will you keep looking?" asked Shakuho. "I don't want to give up on this; I'm worried that something bad will happen in the future, and that if we don't find out what this is all about we wouldn't be able to stop it." The room next door was silent for several moments, after which Nanao sighed deeply._

_'I'll see what I can do," she said slowly. A sound unmistakably like a kiss was then heard, and Nanao left the room, her footsteps disappearing down the hall. Aiseki scooted back to his bed and laid his head upon his pillow, but his eyes were now wide-awake, his heart beating so hard he could feel it in his ears. Not since the moment it had happened had Aiseki given any further thought as to who that Ryojin person was nor why he had contacted him, but now, hearing the concern and worry in Shakuho and Nanao's voices, he couldn't help but worry._

_The next few days did little to solve the mystery, nor did the next few years, but Aiseki had plenty of distraction to draw his mind away from that fact. His training with Shakuho was successful and intense; after only three years Aiseki had mastered Awaregeken's shikai with the assistance of his master. It wasn't a grand shikai like Renji Abarai's, but it had its uses; whereas Awaregeken was completely sealed at the hilt, the shikai form featured a partially dissolved seal with two black ropes dangling from the seal. Aiseki learned to use these ropes in combat, adding an extra dimension to maneuverability, as well as providing a method of capturing enemy weapons and disarming them. After twenty years, however, Aiseki, still a young boy in appearance, had still not achieved bankai, but not that it would matter. Soon after the twentieth anniversary of his arrival in Soul Society, the shadowed strangers broke into his room at night and took him away, forcing him back into the real world into a gigai, erasing his memory and…_

"And now I'm here…" said Mark softly to himself. "Aiseki Kennomichi…Mark Anders…I don't even know who I am anymore…"

"Mark, are you all right?" asked Alicia from the shadows.

"I'm fine, just a little out of it," replied Mark. "Hopefully this goes away…-" Mark's eyes widened as he felt the surge of reiatsu enter the shop from the alleyway outside. As if by magic four others appeared in hallway, one being Shakuho, the other three strangers to Mark, but all with the same look of concern as the reiatsu poured over them like a raging river.

"Aiseki," said Shakuho, his eyes directed at the door of the shop. "This is Kisuke Uruhara, Yoruichi Shihoin, and Ichigo Kurosaki. I'd introduce you properly, but now isn't the time. Tell me, do you still have your zanpakuto Awaregeken."

"I don't know?" replied Mark, heavily distracted by the spiritual pressure. "I might…" He then felt it – the same feeling he had before, the overwhelming, suffocating presence felt when he and his wife were attacked just half a day earlier.

"If you could find it, that would be just great," continued Shakuho. Kisuke then began walking towards the door, pulling an impressive katana out of his walking cane.

"We've got more visitors," said Kisuke. "I'm pretty sure I know what they're after. Young man, you'd better find your zanpakuto fast if you want to avoid the fate of the other eleven people on that list." A knock then came to the door of the shop, resonating in every ear shaking every bone. Kisuke carefully and slowly opened the door a crack to peer at the visitors standing out in the downpour. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," said one of the three individuals outside, his voice rough and malevolent. Mark and Alicia both instantly recognized this voice as the same as their attacker.

"What do you want?" asked Kisuke. "We're closed."

"Master Viajante wishes to see Ichigo Kurosaki and Mark Anders," said the man.

"Never heard of them," replied Kisuke curtly.

"Dude, you're a terrible liar," replied the man, after which the sound of steel sliding across wood could be heard. "We know there in there. Hand them over or we'll take them by force."

"I said I've never heard of them," retorted Kisuke, but as soon as the words left his mouth the door shattered, blowing pieces of soaked wood all over the shop and knocking Kisuke back. In the doorway stood three individuals, a woman and two men dressed like shinigami. The man on the left was indeed that same attacker form the night before, with cruel eyes, a hard, square chin, and wild black hair, while the man on the right was large and muscular, tall and imposing, with a hard, stony, demonic look in his jet-black eyes. Between them stood a black-haired woman, the same height as the first man, though her face and arms were heavily tattooed in an unknown language, giving her a strangely monstrous appearance despite her exotic beauty and violet eyes.

"There they are, in the back," said the woman pointing to Mark and Ichigo, both of whom were taken aback with anxiety. "Dorei, Toriko…kill everyone but the two keyholders. The world will end tonight."

**Next chapter: CLASH AT THE URUHARA SHOP – THE THREE SLAVES**

**BONUS!** Yay! We have a title! I didn't want to get into the whole "Viajante" thing too early on in the story, although I do know that some of you were confused as to the relevance of that word to the story. Well, now you know! And if for some strange reason you're still upset about the events in chapter 2…please just roll with it a little longer. Thank you. ^_^

*Although Lisa, Nanao's predecessor, has fairly obvious sexual preferences, it has not been disclosed what Nanao's preferences are. I went with what I felt would be best for the story, although the evidences in the manga and anime seem to indicate that I am right in my assumptions. As I have done my homework on this and am fairly certain, please don't bring it up in any reviews. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 5: The Three Slaves

**CHAPTER 5: CLASH AT THE URUHARA SHOP – THE THREE SLAVES**

The two strangers, Dorei and Toriko, didn't hesitate at all to follow their female counterpart's command. With a blur they vanished, only to appear instantaneously before the huddled group in Uruhara's shop. Katanas slashed and sparks flew as they were met by the zanpakuto of Kisuke Uruhara and Shakuho Hitokage, and the battle began.

"Yoruichi!" commanded Kisuke as he deflected the strikes of Toriko, the larger stranger with his cane/zanpakuto. "Protect the man and his wife! Don't let yourself be attacked either, Ichigo!"

"But I can…-!" started Ichigo, but Kisuke cut him off.

"You're their target too," said the shopkeeper, blocking away another flurry of slices and strikes from Toriko. "Don't leave yourself open for attack!"

"That means they're your responsibility, Fu," said the shorter, wildly black-haired man Dorei who was now fully engaged in battle with Shakuho. The female stranger sighed deeply with an air of ennui, and pulled out her own zanpakuto.

"Damn shinigami and your code of ethics…" she muttered. "You guys get one opponent each, and then you leave me with two? Bastards…" Fu then locked her gaze onto Yoruichi and Ichigo, both of whom were now standing guard in front of Mark and Alicia.

"Prepare yourself, Ichigo…" muttered Yoruichi. Ichigo's zanpakuto Zangetsu was already out and ready, and he gave a curt nod.

"Yeah…" he replied back. Behind, Alicia was still trembling (she had no idea what was happening, as everyone besides Shakuho and her husband were speaking Japanese, though the former did switch back and forth between the two depending upon his audience), while Mark's mind was overcome with stress; try as he could, his zanpakuto would not appear.

_Awaregeken…where are you?!_

"Don't worry, you two," said Fu to Yoruichi and Ichigo. "This will be quick."

Already away from the others in the open, rain-drenched pavement, Shakuho and Dorei dueled, each focused completely upon the other. Both fought with their zanpakuto's in their base forms; Dorei's blade looked like any other katana wielded by a shinigami – black and red wrappings on the handle, hollowed-out oval pommel, long, curved blade, heavily folded. Shakuho's zanpakuto, on the other hand, was unique like Kisuke Uruhara's – an unwrapped, wooden, flamboyant red handle, at least twice the length of that of a normal katana, a black, solid, square pommel. His blade was similar in shape and length to Dorei's, but Shakuho's was inscribed with hundreds of characters from hilt to tip. With such a long handle, Shakuho's hands were well spaced along the handle, giving him a surprisingly effective dimension of movement against the well-trained and vicious Dorei.

"You fight like a shinigami trained in Soul Society," observed Dorei in his rough, dark voice, his wild black hair flailing around with each strike and slash.

"An astute observation…" replied Shakuho, slicing at his foe.

"But that zanpakuto of yours…its not normal," continued Dorei. "First off it makes you look totally queer with that awful red handle. But I must say it gives you the advantage over me in movement." Dorei knocked Shakuho a few paces back with a powerful strike.

"I like it this way," retorted Shakuho. "When you live in America, you gotta be yourself, be individual." Shakuho lunged forward again, delivering a series of blows that likewise forced Dorei backwards, nearly losing his grip.

"Hmph, individuality…" grunted Dorei, repositioning his hands upon his zanpakuto. "There is no such thing as 'individuality'; we are all just slaves to fate, to a higher power…to God."

"So then why even live?" asked Shakuho as Dorei ran towards him, his sword held high before slashing down at Shakuho, where blades met and froze in struggle, shivering under the muscular battle between the two warriors.

"Because…" stammered Dorei, his teeth gritting as he pressed down upon Shakuho's blade. "I have met God…and he has promised, in his infinite goodness and wisdom, to release me from that miserable line of existence." Shakuho responded with a burst of reiatsu, overcoming Dorei and swinging his katana with considerable thrust. Dorei flew into the air, but vanished in an instant.

"Shunpo, huh?" asked Shakuho, parrying the attack from behind with relative ease. "Seen it. You know, it is kinda odd for someone to go on a religious rant in general, but a shinigami on a religious rant…I mean, I don't even know really who you are. I'm sad to say that my first impression of you is…well…insane."

"Mere words…" grumbled Dorei. "I take it you were once a shinigami like myself, correct? Your skill with the blade is excellent; it looks like I won't have to hold back on you."

"Tut tut…" said Shakuho softly. "Not a wise decision…" Several paces divided them amidst the sound of battle all around, a cruel smile upon Dorei's face intimating a terrible, devious secret.

"Bare your claws, Yamainu!" shouted Dorei. Immediately his sword began to glow and morph its shape; whereas before it was a standard katana, its appearance was now greatly modified: sharp on every edge, jutting straight for three feet then splitting off and curling back like two enormous velociraptor claws.

"That is a beautiful shikai…" observed Shakuho, prompting a mocking grunt from Dorei.

"Yamainu is far advanced from the shikai of regular shinigami," he began, his voice raised in pride. "He has three movements; upon the third your life will end."

"That is quite the claim," retorted Shakuho. "I take it this Viajante person taught you this specialty?"

"You will not disrespect my god!" growled the slave. "First movement! Kumoashi!" Dorei swung his sword down parallel to his body, slicing the ground with Yamainu's massive blade and sending a spray of dirt, asphalt, and dust into the air, maintaining its cloud-like nature despite the rain. No sooner had he done so when he vanished, appearing opposite his original position and behind Shakuho, where he repeated this motion, slicing the ground again before vanishing to another location. This continued again and again, the speed of each shunpo increasing until a circle of dirt and dust several feet high surrounded Shakuho, who merely stood and watched, his face lowered, his eyes looking at the ground almost in sorrow as rainwater dripped down his nose and chin.

"To see you so defeated…" said Dorei, now holding his position outside the circular area. "You look like a coward…a coward that should never have been granted the opportunity to use a zanpakuto. It makes me want to kill you even more! Second movement! Fukisarashi!" Dorei swung his zanpakuto mightily into the cloud of dust and dirt sending a gust of air all around it. The winds increased, carrying the rain-resistant dust and higher and higher, simultaneously increasing its depth and creating a cylinder of nearly pure darkness around Shakuho, still in the same position as before.

"Oh?" muttered Shakuho curiously.

"You cannot break out of this prison," stated Dorei loudly. "Yamainu's first and second movements combined create a powerful barrier of spirit energy than no zanpakuto nor kidou spell can break easily, and if you tried I would know exactly where and when, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Master Viajante has indeed trained me well!"

"Who is this Viajante anyway?" asked Shakuho after a moment. "I have heard the name before, a long time ago, and I always wondered who this person was. I would imagine he would have to be someone pretty damn special to have three top-notch shinigami desert their ranks to follow him."

"Master Viajante…" muttered Dorei's voice from beyond the shadows of the clouds of debris. "He is like no other soul I have ever met…he is god himself…"

"We were once part of squad 11, many years ago. All of us were faithful shinigami, loyal to the code for which we lived and fought. Our names were different back then, as were our foolish beliefs…all until he came to us. It happened during a routine mission in the outskirts of Rukongai, far from any village. We were sent to track down a murderous hollow running rampant through the land, and it had last been seen heading towards the deep, distant forests.

"The hollow was easy to track and find for the three of us, and just as easily dispatched. It seemed insulting to send us, the third, fourth, and fifth seats of the eleventh squad to deal with a measly hollow of little strength, particularly since this mission required several days and nights of journey. Needless to say we weren't in the highest of spirits, but soon after the hollow was defeated he appeared to us.

"It was almost like a dream; his face appeared before us, floating in the air as though looking through a window bathed in light. His smile and kind countenance lifted our downtrodden hearts and filled us with hope – hope for change, hope for respect, hope for fairness and justice in the world. I can't even remember all that he told us, but his overall message was clear: life as we knew it was unfair, injustice ruled the universe, and he could change it with our help.

"Soul Society listed us as being killed in combat, but we secretly laid in wait for our master's command, travelling back and forth across the void between mortality and the afterlife freely through his power. And now he has given us our most important mission, the end of all missions…" Dorei was silent for a few moments while Shakuho absorbed his words. Pieces and shards of memory and suspicion from the past now merged together, filling in the gaps that Shakuho had spent forty years trying to piece together.

"What part of the Viajante's plan did Aiseki fill?" asked Shakuho to the swirling darkness after a moment.

"Well, his name is on the list, isn't it?" chuckled Dorei. "We knew Mark and Aiseki were the same person, we just weren't sure where he was. But, thanks to you, bringing the final two names together in the same place has made our job so much easier."

"You didn't answer my question," continued Shakuho. "Why are you killing those people? Why are you trying to kill Ichigo and Aiseki?!"

"I don't even know myself," said Dorei in a softer tone. "All I do know is that the world as we know it will end when the thirteen keyholders have been collected."

"Keyholders?"

"Master Viajante is unfortunately sparing in the details of his plans," added Dorei. "But it is for the better. It is simply meant for us to obey on faith, so that his plans might be realized; after all, he is god, and his wisdom is perfect."

"Hmph…" grunted Shakuho with an air of humorous disbelief. "To think that god would be bloodthirsty and murderous…doesn't that strike a chord of doubt within you? Why would god, in his 'infinite goodness and wisdom', seek to destroy the souls that supposedly are his?"

"Much is left to the unknown," replied Dorei slowly. "It isn't given to us to know all things, only the things that we must know to fulfill god's will." Shakuho didn't immediately respond; in his mind the answer about the Viajante was clear in at least one regard: whoever he was, he definitely wasn't god, or a god at all.

"I simply can't believe in your god," said Shakuho confidently, raising his head for the first time since Yamainu's second movement had been released. "It just doesn't feel right, and I'm sure inside you feel the same."

"You aren't in a position to lecture me," growled Dorei. "After all, you are just fodder in the way of my mission. None of what I told you matters now anyway, since you are about to die."

"Again with the pride…" muttered Shakuho, his hands gripping the long red handle of his zanpakuto tightly. "A shinigami is weakest when he is filled with pride."

"Pride…it is ironic that Yamainu's form is that of a proud coyote," observed Dorei, a hint of glee filling his voice. "And like the coyote Yamainu has a preferred method of delivering death to its victims. You see, while many animals tackle their prey one-on-one, Yamainu prefers more of a pack approach. Through these mists I have created using the first and second movements, innumerable replicas of Yamainu will course through, attacking you instantaneously from all sides and directions, leaving you vulnerable to the death that I will give unto you. Behold, the third movement! Inunanseihokubatsu!"

Glints from the streetlights outside the clouds peeked through as hundreds of Yamainu replicas shot through the mists, colliding together in the center of the cylinder with a crushing din of sliding, grinding steel.

"HA!" laughed Dorei rudely during the cacophony, continuing his rant as the clouds of darkness began to swirl away. "You disgust me! Here you are, trained by Sereitei, and you didn't even bother releasing…your…" Dorei's voice trailed off as the mists vanished, revealing a soaked pile of swords that vanished with a bright, white flash of smoke and vapor into the now lightening ran. Missing from the scene, however, was Shakuho.

"What the…?" gasped Dorei, looking left and right before hearing the blood-curdling sound of footsteps behind him.

"All captain-class shinigami are prepared for attacks like this in one way or another," said the voice of Shakuho, now standing several feet behind Dorei. The slave's countenance had now fallen, and his body began to tremble, first in fear, but then reverting to rage.

"DIE!" he screamed, swinging around and slashing at Shakuho, but it was already too late. The red-handled katana moved so quickly the slave could barely see it, knowing only of its motion from the spray of blood erupting diagonally across his chest and torso. Dorei then fell into the puddles of the asphalt clearing in front of the Uruhara shop, his blood mingling with the rainwater and turning all of it within several feet a deep transparent red.

"I wanted to see your abilities…" said Shakuho softly to the mortally wounded Dorei, now quivering helplessly. "And I needed to find out who this Viajante person is."

"B-but…how…?" stammered Dorei, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. "How did you…?"

"You said that I hadn't released my zanpakuto," replied Shakuho. "That isn't true. Like Ichigo Kurosaki's zanpakuto, my Datesugata prefers her first released form. In other words, she's always in shikai mode, and in that mode she can perform her unique technique without a word."

"But…?" gurgled Dorei, but Shakuho shook his head.

"I can't tell you that," he replied softly. "Your companions might hear, and that would remove my advantage. However, I can only say that I was most impressed with your zanpakuto's shikai, and I would have been most interested in seeing its bankai form. Unfortunately, you chose a life of treachery for a false god."

"A false god, you say?" asked a man's voice from the alleyway behind Shakuho. "I've never been called that before." Shakuho then turned to face the speaker, upon which his eyes widened with horror. A quick flash of light tore across Shakuho's chest, where he stood silently and still for a moment before falling to the ground in a similar state as Dorei, Shakuho's blood pouring out of the gaping wound and mingling with Dorei's.

"V-Viajante...kami…sama…" stammered Dorei, looking up at his master.

**Next chapter: THE VIAJANTE ARRIVES**

BONUS! Couple notes here. First off, I didn't feel like presenting the translations for Japanese romaji used here in the story. Part of the reason is that the name of each technique, sword, etc that I use is a descriptor of that thing. For example, Dorei's zanpakuto Yamainu literally means "wild dog", and its final attack was a pack attack, much like a wild dog. So if you know what's going on/what something looks like/what something smells like, you can guess what the Japanese means. That or you can look it up, which is just as much fun.

Second note, at the very end Dorei says Viajante-kamisama. This was the best I could come up with for a title meaning "god", with the sama for master thrown in for kicks.

Third note, this chapter was a little later and a little shorter than others. There is a reason for this, and its nothing for me to be ashamed about. Simply put, I don't write stories based around fights. Rather I write stories based upon plot occurrences rather than planned out and choreographed battle sequences. What this means is that I can pump out plot and non-combat related material really fast and in high volume, but when I get to a fight scene I kinda have to sit down and figure out what happens when to whom and so on. I think this is pretty cool actually, since it allows me to stop and take a good look at the big picture of the story while I write. As for being a little shorter, well…they just are. Anyway, I hope you liked chapter 5! Please tell your friends to stop by and check it out, since very, very few readers on both sites makes Kanko a sad Kanko :'-( , and nobody wants a sad Kanko, right? Right.


	7. Chapter 6: The Viajante Arrives

**CHAPTER 6: THE VIAJANTE ARRIVES**

"Don't worry…" said Fu to Yoruichi and Ichigo as they huddled in front of Mark and Alicia in the now badly-damaged Uruhara shop. "This will be quick." Fu drew her katana, and in an instant had vanished.

"Shunpo?" gasped Ichigo, and he was correct. The exotic yet heavily tattooed Fu appeared next to Yoruichi, slicing at her chest. Yoruichi was quick, however, ducking and easily dodging the strike and using the opportunity to distance her and her foe from Ichigo, Mark, and Alicia. In the act of dodging and all within a fraction of a second, Yoruichi leaned over, placing her hand on the ground, twisted her body, and plowed her knee into Fu's stomach.

"Gah!" cried Fu, flying out of the shop, through the air, and landing hard on the rain-soaked pavement near to where the door once stood. Yoruichi did not hesitate to pursue, leaving Ichigo alone with the Anders.

"Yoruichi-san!" called out Ichigo, but Yoruichi waved him off.

"I can handle this," she said confidently. "Protect those two, not to mention yourself." Ichigo hesitated, but finally acknowledged after a moment. Ahead, Fu stood up, wiping a trail of blood from her mouth as Yoruichi stood before her, her body set in position for battle. Yoruichi Shihoin, once a Captain of Soul Society, used primarily physical attacks in lieu of sword attacks during battle. While some would think this a disadvantage, those with knowledge of her technique knew full well she was just as deadly as any other Captain. Fu, on the other hand, looked upon her enemy with a look of confusion for a moment, followed by a riotous, insulting bout of laughter.

"What, you aren't going to take out your zanpakuto?!" said Fu mockingly. "You have the spiritual aura of a shinigami…tough one too, from the feel of it…you were once a Captain…just like that hat-and-clogs guy over there. Anyway, draw your zanpakuto!" Yoruichi stood still, making no additional movement whatsoever, her lovely yellow eyes scowling at her foe.

"Why would I need a zanpakuto to defeat a lowly shinigami like yourself?" asked Yoruichi after a moment. "If I were you, I would release the shikai or bankai, if you have it, otherwise you won't stand a chance."

"Very well," said Fu, with a smile. "If you won't draw, and if you're that confident in your ability without a katana, then I will suffice. Shikai! Strike them all down, Akisunerai!" Fu ran her hand along the top of her katana, gliding her fingers along the steel from hilt to tip, a small wave of energy pulsing out from her body. The dirt around her stirred, little eddies of wind visible swirling in the clouds of dust, but to Yoruichi there was no difference – Akisunerai, Fu's zanpakuto, looked exactly the same as before.

"What?!" gasped the tattooed woman. "W-Why isn't it…what happened?!" Fu began to fumble around with her sword, her painted face growing a terrified look upon it. "What's wrong with you?! Akisunerai!!!"

"Some shinigami you are," said Yoruichi in a shameful tone. "You made the wrong decision coming here tonight. I will not allow you to do kill any more people." Fu looked up at Yoruichi with horror in her eyes.

"N-No…" she stammered, but Yoruichi's cold stance did not waver.

"It appears that Shakuho is in a difficult battle…" said Yoruichi, noticing the massive column of dust on the far side of the paved square. "And the large man fighting Uruhara is giving him quite the battle. But it seems your wilder comrade is giving out valuable information if my ears are right. In that case, you must be dispatched. I will, like you said, make it quick." Yoruichi vanished into a shunpo, her body flying towards Fu at speeds faster than the normal eye could detect and her hands in fists, ready to deal the deadly blow, though not noticing the subtle change in Fu's façade as her lips wrinkled upward into a slight, sickly smile.

"Heh…" muttered Fu under breath. Yoruichi's fist flew forward, its target visible, vulnerable, and about to perish. However, just as she would have connected with Fu's face, her fist passed through into her skin as though nothing was there – as though it were a complete illusion.

"What?!' gasped Yoruichi, but it was already too late. Fu vanished into thin air, leaving Yoruichi in an awkward state as she tried to stop her momentum. As she turned her head in the air, Fu was standing behind her, a wretched smile on her face, and she slashed her sword across Yoruichi's side and back. Blood shot out from her wounds, spraying upon Fu as she cackled, her eyes wide and psychotic, her sword drenched in crimson.

"Got you…" said Fu with a fiendish grin, and Yoruichi tumble to the ground, blood pouring from the gash. For a moment she struggled to stand, but in desperation collapsed to the ground, her body unable to move any longer.

"YORUICHI!!!" screamed out Ichigo, still within the shop with Mark and Alicia. Mark Anders watched in horror as the pretty purple-haired woman he had just barely met fell to the ground as if dead.

_This is my fault…_ he thought as his body began to tremble, not even noticing that Ichigo was already racing towards the devilish Fu. _Awaregeken…please come back! PLEASE!_ Beyond, Ichigo's sword connected with Fu's, the looks upon the two shinigami's faces polar opposites – Ichigo, full of anger and rage, and Fu, cackling maniacally with murderous lust.

"You like this girl, huh?" laughed Fu as she effortlessly knocked away Ichigo's massive, harpoon-like zanpakuto. "You sure are flying off the handle just for me taking down a worthless peon."

"You will pay for this!" growled Ichigo, slashing several more times at Fu, though each was deftly parried. "You've killed my friends! You barge in here and start attacking us! You've murdered eleven innocent people!!!"

"And what's it to you?" asked Fu in a sickeningly sweet voice. "I thought Shinigami were supposed to be above such emotional attachments. If your friend falls, you keep fighting, right? Don't lose your self in emotions, or else you will fail, right? Don't they teach you anything anymore in Soul Society?" Fu smiled and glared menacingly at Ichigo, and swung her sword rather weakly at him.

"I'm just a substitute shinigami," retorted Ichigo, knocking her sword away and slashing her through the chest – with the same effect as Yoruichi's attack. Ichigo's zanpakuto passed through the woman's body, wisping it away as the air currents whipped around the humid, rainy air. Fu's body then dissolved into the air as before, but Ichigo, having seen this move already, was ready for it. Like lightning he threw his sword over his shoulder, holding it vertically against his back just in time to stop Fu's Akisunerai from slashing him.

"Well, you aren't completely clueless, unlike her…" said Fu. Ichigo leaped forward, turning around to face his enemy as she stood scratching her head somewhat childishly. "As you might have guessed, Akisunerai is a trickster. Her name means 'sneaky thief', and as you can imagine she is perfect for dispatching unwanted foes quickly."

"How did you make that illusion?" asked Ichigo. Beyond it appeared that Shakuho and Dorei's battle was over, while Uruhara and Toriko seemed to be, to Ichigo's amazement, evenly matched as their battle raged on off in the other corner of the square.

"That is Akisunerai's ability," replied Fu happily, enraging Ichigo even more. "She is a trickster, an illusionist, one of two zanpakuto known for this ability. I do believe Aizen Sosuke has the other blade, but, if I've heard right, he's all the way in Hueco Mundo right now. With Akisunerai I can make an image of myself, complete with reiatsu and personality – all perfect for tricking the mind and allowing me to sneak behind unnoticed. Thanks to Master Viajante's training, everyone who comes in contact with me will die thanks to Akisunerai's unbeatable ability."

"Unbeatable?" asked Ichigo dubiously. Fu grinned widely, showing nearly all her teeth in her tattooed face.

"It is a perfect illusion…" she muttered cruelly. "It cannot be seen through, not even by god himself."

"God? You mean your Master Viajante?" asked Ichigo, gripping his sword tightly. _She's relaxed right now…I think I can catch her before she creates the next illusion…_

"Master Viajante is god himself…" continued Fu, her voice trailing off into a romantic tone. "He is wonderful…amazing…benevolent…" Fu's drifting eyes suddenly lit up as a flash of steel appeared in the corner of her eye, but she had gotten so caught up in the moment that she wasn't fast enough to stop Ichigo's surprise attack fully.

"GYAH!" cried Ichigo, slashing Zangetsu down at Fu, only to be stopped once again by her sword although this time she was real. Fu jumped back after her parry, a long red streak across her left cheek, bisecting several peculiar tattoos.

"That was my fault…" said Fu, wiping her cheek with her hand and checking for blood. "As you can see he is a special man; even the mere thought of him can calm my soul…and you, Ichigo Kurosaki, are fated to die by his hand…" Fu stopped suddenly, her face become bright and alive, her eyes wide and excited, and within seconds she was running away towards where Shakuho and Dorei were fighting. From what he could see, and to his shock, both Shakuho and Dorei were lying upon the ground while a man dressed completely in white was walking towards him. Fu was following him from behind, looking almost like a puppy following her owner, and within moments Toriko, the larger, more devilish looking man joined her.

"Shakuho and Yoruichi have both fallen…" said a voice from behind, that of Kisuke Uruhara beneath his green- and white-striped hat. "Don't fret about them, though. Tessei will take care of them. That Toriko fellow is one hell of a fighter, by the way. I couldn't find an opening at all." True to his words, a massive blur flew around the square, picking up both the beleaguered and defeated shinigami, ending up finally next to Alicia and Mark. Alicia jumped a bit as Tessei, the overly well-built assistant shopkeeper appeared next to her and began administering treatment to Shakuho and Yoruichi. Mark's wife began to feel breathless as she looked upon the gash across Shakuho's chest; she had never seen such an awful wound before, and even though she had just met the man, she felt compassion and emotional at the terrible sight. Mark, however, was completely unphazed, his attention being completely taken by another person.

"Alicia…" he said softly to his wife. "He's here…" To Alicia's shock and terror, Mark leaped to his feet and began racing across the square towards the man dressed in white.

"Mark! No!" cried out Alicia, but her words had no effect. He sailed past Ichigo and Uruhara, ignoring their shouts and pleases for him to stop.

_It's him…he's the one from the day of the car accident…he's the one who has haunted my dreams…he's the one who has killed all these people…he's the one…Ryojin, the Viajante…_ Mark held out his hands as he neared the man in white, and he drew in a deep breath to speak.

"Upon the lonely mountain you stand!" cried out Mark. "Distant are your emotions, yet firm is your resolve! Sorrow hath no place but within thee, and grief no equal! Cast out the sadness of generations, and redeem those that grieve! Come forth, Awaregeken!!!"

A massive burst of dark vapor erupted from Mark's hands, hiding him from view of all around for a few moments, but as they parted Mark's appearance had changed. No longer was he swordless – Awaregeken had been revived. By all accounts it looked like a normal katana with a dark, unwrapped mahogany handle still in its sheath, with the exception of a seal around the pommel holing the katana within the sheath. Mark stood firmly with Awaregeken in both hands, being held like a normal sword in front of him as he faced the three villains.

"Ryojin…the Viajante…" growled Mark. The man in white stood silent for a moment before stepping towards him, a pleasant grin upon his handsome face. Indeed, this person, the Viajante, was a handsome figure; his raiment was completely spotless and white, with a long, flowing cape void of any lettering and design, beneath which he wore impeccably clean, pleated trousers and a very fine, long-sleeved shirt with large, ivory buttons up the center, creating a high collar that hugged his neck with a V-cut at his Adam's apple. His face was also beautiful by all accounts – long, dark brown hair that ran to his shoulders, wildly curly at the ends and cleanly parted down the middle of his head, soft, deep blue eyes, a perfect, gently sloped and pointed nose, and a disturbingly kind smile upon his lips. A small goatee grew upon his chin in the same color as his hair, and as he stepped towards Mark he held out his hands as if welcoming him, his right hand donning a pure white leather glove.

"Mark Anders…" said the Viajante in a smooth, cheerful baritone voice. "I haven't seen you in years."

"My name is Aiseki…" growled Mark, his battle stance unwavering. "Aiseki Kennomichi. The name Mark Anders…is as false as that body I was living in. I remember those three you sent here to kill us from before. They were the ones who kidnapped me out of Sereitei twenty years ago. That leads me to believe that you were the one who led them to it."

"That gigai I instructed my Slaves to create was a wondrous work of art," replied the Viajante. "Don't speak so poorly about something so fantastic – a false body that can function perfectly in the mortal world, so impossibly perfect that the one kept inside would never even know of its counterfeit. Anyway, dear Mark – or Aiseki, if that's what you prefer, I did this all for your protection."

"You send your thugs to murder for…my protection?!" gasped Mark, the grip on Awaregeken becoming painfully tight. "What the hell is that?!"

"Please, please…" said the Viajante, waving his hand in an attempt to cool Mark's nerves. "There is much you need to know before the next step. I saved you for the very last so that you would know – and appreciate – the scope of my project…my mission…my life. Please, come to me, and I will open your eyes, and fill your mind with knowledge, so much so that you'll think your soul will burst with intelligence." The Viajante then removed the leather glove from his right hand, and Mark felt his body become weak, as though it, despite his mind's wishes, was listening and heeding the Viajante's voice.

"W-What is happening?" stammered Mark as he felt his grasp on Awaregeken loosen.

"Please, Aiseki, call me Ryojin," said the Viajante with a smile. Mark was about to lose his grasp completely when a black blur with an orange top flew past him, distracting the Viajante and restoring Mark's control.

"YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS!!! BANKAI!!!"

Ichigo Kurosaki flew towards Ryojin, the Viajante, with his sword already in the act of swinging. Ichigo's appearance had also changed with the advent of Zangetsu's bankai release: a handsome, floor length cloak, buttoned at his torso and tattered at the ends, with a fine white shirt indicative of Zangetsu's human form. Ichigo's zanpakuto was no longer a large blade, it now was a small, jet black cross between a rapier and a katana. This zanpakuto release was legend even in Soul Society; his speed in this form was increased to nearly ridiculous levels, and even Captain Byakuya Kuchiki couldn't keep up with it at times. But what was most different – and frighteningly so – was Ichigo's face. As he sprinted, he held his hand over his face and pulled it down, revealing a frightening hollow mask with red streaks on the left forehead. Ichigo was drawing out the power of his inner hollow, all the power he could muster without losing total control. He intended to bifurcate this man, this murderer, for stealing Chad, Inoue, and Ishida from him. Rage beyond anything Ichigo had ever felt surged through his body as he flew at the Viajante, and the intent to kill flooded the square so heavily that even Kisuke Uruhara bent over under the pressure. Behind the Viajante, Fu and Toriko began to draw their swords, but Ryojin held up his hand and beckoned them to stop.

"Your work in this mission is complete, my loyal servants," he said pleasantly. "I can handle the rest." Upon finishing these words Ichigo was within striking range, and Ryojin turned to face him, looking into his enraged eyes with a sickening look of kindness that made Ichigo's heart want to burst out of his chest. He then heaved Zangetsu into a mighty slash at the Viajante's midsection, and let out a cry filled with immeasurably pain and anguish.

"DIE YOU MURDERER…!!!"

As though out of a nightmare, Ichigo felt his body become cold and stiff, and he stopped mid-swing just before it would have cut the Viajante through. His hands became numb and weak, and his fingers lost their feel, thus releasing Zangetsu and letting it fall to the ground as he stood motionless, his eyes screwed up in terror and sweat pouring down his face.

"Ichigo?!" asked Uruhara as the substitute shinigami stopped mid-attack. Mark, in the meantime, looked onward with horror.

_He didn't even touch him…_ thought Mark. _He…he didn't even touch him and he stopped that attack!_

"W-What…the…?" Ichigo stuttered laboriously, only to see the Viajante's outstretched right hand pointed straight at him, the palm exposed and looking as though it were grasping something tangible out of the air.

"There it is…" said the Viajante slowly. "You had a good hold upon the key within your soul, stronger than the other eleven keyholders. If you would, please relax. It will make this less painful for you." Ryojin then retracted his arm and Ichigo lurched forward, his body becoming wracked with pain, the muscles across his entire being tensing up. He felt something being dragged out him, something invisible…something heavy. Beyond, the Viajante began to struggle a little, but only for a moment as he then pulled his hand back quickly, upon which Ichigo fell lifeless to the ground.

"ICHIGO! NO!" cried out Uruhara, and he began to rush towards the Viajante, only to be immediately stopped by both Fu and Toriko as he instantly found their swords against his neck.

"You will not interfere with God's plan," growled Toriko in a deep voice, and with that Uruhara held still, his eyes wide in disbelief at the scene before him. Back in the shop, Alicia looked on horrified as Ichigo fell dead to the ground, but her attention was taken away as she noticed a dark line crossing out Ichigo Kurosaki's name from the list written on the parchment paper. Now, only Mark Anders remained.

"Now…" said Ryojin calmly to Mark, so disgustingly calm and peaceful that Mark felt nauseous just listening to his words. "You are the final key, my son."

**Next chapter: THE GRAND REVELATION**

BONUS! He he he…not much I feel like saying today, other than this: when I ran this story to my wife before I started writing it, she said this part of the story we are in spooked her really bad.


	8. Chapter 7: The Grand Revelation

**CHAPTER 7: THE GRAND REVELATION**

Mark's eyes were wide with rage as he looked upon Ryojin, the Viajante. Every ill-tempered feeling he had ever felt paled in comparison to his state at this moment; without knowing really who this man was nor his purpose, his mere existence was anathema for Mark. He had to stop him…he had to destroy him right here, right now, before others were killed. Mark squeezed the handle of Awaregeken tightly, and prepared for the attack. It would have to be swift and precise; Ichigo's attack was full of incredible power and strength, yet this did nothing at all to Ryojin, as the Viajante was able to stop the attack merely by holding out his hand.

"I don't know what you mean by 'final key'," said Mark, the sheathed Awaregeken radiating with reiatsu with each word. "I don't even know why you're here, but…I cannot let you kill anyone else. It stops here, Ryojin!" Mark disappeared with a blur, moving left and right mid-shunpo to distract the man in white. _Right there…_ he thought as he appeared instantly behind the Viajante, and he swung Awaregeken with all his might.

"I have so much to teach you before you die," said the Viajante suddenly, and Mark felt his body freeze just like Ichigo had before. Ryojin turned to face him, his hand once again in a grasping appearance, and with a swift kick Awaregeken was out of Mark's hands and sliding along the ground away from them. "Please, hold still while I educate and enlighten you." Mark's body then stood forcibly prostrate, his muscles working against his will. At the same time the surrounding became dark, hiding the others from his view and leaving Ryojin and Mark alone in a strange, swirling atmosphere of deep red and black.

"W…where…are we…?" stammered Mark, the motions of speaking almost too painful to endure. Ryojin smirked while a white, wooden throne appeared magically behind him, and he sat down with the heir of royalty.

"We are within the power of my companion Jigenseisokuka," replied Ryojin calmly. "Here we can converse freely without interruption, since we are now in a completely different dimension than before. I suppose I should start from the very beginning, since my words to you were technically true."

"What…words…?" asked Mark, prompting a nauseating smile from the Viajante.

"I called you my son," he said softly.

"Son…?" gasped Mark through the pain. "My dad…was named…Ed…"

"Ah yes, your earthly father," interrupted Ryojin with an air of disdain in his voice. "That man was indeed your mortal father, but I am your spiritual father."

_What?!_ thought Mark. _No way! No way in hell…!_

"There's no such thing!" cried out Mark, now ignoring the muscle spasms across his body. "Souls move back and forth between the mortal world and the afterlife, and they always have! There is no 'creation'!""

"Yet there is movement of spirit between these worlds, isn't there?" posed Ryojin, prompting an immediate hush from Mark. "An impetus – a driving force – this is not explained by those in your 'Soul Society', because they have no knowledge nor memory whatsoever of the Premortal world. So much is unknown between the world of mortality and the afterlife, and it is meant to be that way. But for you, the soul I created with my own two hands, I am willing to break that rule. Please be silent as I speak, since I will not be repeating myself.

"I was once a resident of the world before the mortal: the Jizengensei, or Premortal world, as were you at one point. It is a world much like this mortality, although far more peaceful and beautiful. There we created new souls to live in the mortal realm, with full knowledge of the plan of existence given by God, or at least whom we called god. Each man and woman would form spirits according to their own will, and with these spirits they would pass into mortality as families before entering the swirling flow of spirit between life and death, this motion created by the influx of spirit from the Premortal. As spirit particles progressed in the mortal world and afterlife, eventually a maximum would be reached and these would then progress into the next realm of existence. To put it plainly, in the Premortal world souls are created in their initial forms, in the Mortal world they gain a body and learn to use it, in the Afterlife their souls progress and become stronger and wiser, and after moving across the void between these two realms in various forms they regain their original state and move on to the next state, which we call Heaven, where the body and the spirit reunite in an immortal form. All four states of existence are intrinsically linked, and if one begins to weaken, so too will the others.

"Back then, I was a teacher, and your mother and I were preparing our own family for our sojourn in the mortal world, but the superiors didn't approve of my teachings. I had and still do feel that too much was kept secret, that spirits would progress faster and better if knowledge of the Premortal world was preserved while crossing into mortality, and I began to voice my opinion among our people. The feeling was well met, but the heads of our people sought to silence me, and in punishment they sent my wife and my children, among whom was you, into the mortal world without me, forever dooming me to remain in that estate. You see, they cursed me to never progress; forever would I stay in the Premortal world, only to watch as my friends and family were able to attain the highest levels of progression and meet their god.

"It caused me such sorrow to lose my family, and I could only watch from there as my wife lived and died, finding love with so many with no memory of our once fruitful romance. One by one our children also grew and died in different eras, until eventually you were born into that fated family. However, it was then that I made an important and life-altering discovery. It came to my knowledge after much research of the past generations that barriers existed between each realm, and that these barriers were held together by a means unknown to any within the realms. A method of control had been in place since the beginning, and by breaking that barrier one could move freely into the next stage of development unhindered. Finally, after five hundred years of solitude and punishment I had found my answer.

"The thirteen names you saw on that list you took from Dorei are the keys to breaking the barrier, and as you know your name was also on that list. Herein lied the great obstacle to my plan, however. It seemed that someone from a higher plane knew my thoughts, knew my desires to break free from the suffocating sorrow in which I lived. Someone knew that I sought to destroy the state of existence and remake it to be more just, more fair, and they caused you, my youngest son, to perish. In each realm there are thirteen keys of power, and as long as these thirteen keys are present, the world will remain stable and the barrier impenetrable. While I was still preparing my method of attack in the Premortal world, it came to my attention that you, Aiseki, were a holder of one of these keys, assigned randomly among those with the highest spiritual power within a realm. Normally when one dies the key is automatically transferred…but with you that did not occur. It was to my shock and horror to see you perish in that accident, to see the blood of my beloved boy shed, but the fact that you held onto that key without even realizing it showed me that someone was interfering…that God himself was trying to keep the universe intact by marooning my son, a keyholder, into Soul Society. That was why I came to you that day, to tell you that I would take care of things.

"I had my slaves kidnap you out of Soul Society and return you to the mortal world, so that, in time, I could claim the key from your soul by force. I didn't expect it to take this long, however; the preparations to obtain the keys from the Premortal world took twenty years, though now my method has been improved to three months for my preparations here."

Mark felt as though his soul would explode; surely enough to the Viajante's words, the information seemed almost too much to handle. Regardless of this feeling, however, all of it seemed to make sense. It was true, and this realization alone helped Mark to cope.

"Three months…" said Mark slowly, digesting the information still. "That's when conceptions ceased…that's when spirit stopped flowing…"

"Three months ago I conquered the Premortal world," continued the Viajante proudly. "I captured the thirteen keys of that world and broke through into the Mortal world. It is somewhat sad, however, that once the keys are collected the world becomes unstable and will tear itself apart. No longer does that world exist. It is a small price to pay, though, since my goal transcends all things and all time."

"Your goal?" asked Mark in disbelief. "What goal would justify the murder of billions?!" Ryojin looked up at Mark with a grin that would have killed anyone else with its sheer evil and spoke in a tone that made Mark wish he could be deaf.

"I will become God, and when I do, everything will be different."

Mark's heart felt as though it would fail him as he heard these words, the dread overwhelming him to the point that he failed to notice that Ryojin was now slowly approaching.

"But now with twelve of the Mortal world's keys in my control, looking upon you, my son, the holder of the thirteenth key, is almost too much to bear." Ryojin stopped a few feet in front the still-recoiling Mark, who then looked up at the Viajante with pain in his eyes. "My son…" continued Ryojin in a dramatic voice, tears streaming down his perfect, handsome, and awful face. "It didn't have to be this way, you know. We were supposed to be a family, a happy family, but God has sinned against me."

"Go…sinned against you?" asked Mark, his voice tinged with anger, his body still wracked with pain and frozen by Ryojin's power.

"I will be God very soon," continued the Viajante. "In fact, fate is already set in place. I practically am God already. Therefore, my beloved son, be proud that your father is taking over this illustrious role, for you are now the son of God…the son who gave himself for his father's will." Ryojin extended his right hand, still in the form of grasping, and Mark felt as though something had been clenched within his heart.

"S..stop…" gasped Mark, his breath feeling shallow. Ryojin shook his head with a horrid look of pity upon his face.

"Son, don't struggle," he said sweetly. "Just relax, and this will all be over painlessly." Mark's eyes widened with horror as Ryojin withdrew his arm. What had felt like a clenching sensation within his chest now was being drawn invisibly out of his body, and the moment it left he collapsed upon the ground onto his back. Around them the scene returned to the pavement in front of Uruhara's shop, and a bright light was shimmering from off to the left. Mark's body was on fire; he could see why Ryojin had told him not to struggle, since Ichigo had died almost immediately, but he was stuck in this state. The more he tried to stay alive, the more his body pleaded for death.

"Thank you, my son," said the Viajante, replacing the glove onto his right hand. Next to him stood a bright, oval-shaped portal, so bright it blinded Mark's eyes to look at it directly, and Ryojin, Fu, and Toriko began stepping towards it until another voice interrupted them.

"M…master…" said a weak, gurgling voice from off to the side. Ryojin turned to see Dorei, the slave defeated by Shakuho, reaching out to him with a blood-soaked arm. "Master…please…"

"A slothful servant does not profit me," said Ryojin coldly. "You will die here with the others." Ryojin then raised his left hand and spoke. "Jigenseisokuka, it is time." With that, Ryojin and his two remaining slaves stepped into the shining portal and vanished, all the while the ground began to shake terribly while the portal, strangely, remained.

"MARK!" screamed Alicia as she ran to her dying husband, her eyes red and sore with tears. The others were wildly running back and forth, but Alicia knelt down and picked up her husband's head with her hand. "Mark…please don't die…"

"Alicia…" stammered Mark, his voice so weak it was a barely a whisper. "Alicia…"

"Yes, Mark?" she asked, her voice trembling mightily with emotion as the world seemed to be shaking itself to pieces around her. Mark then lifted his arm and pointed to Awaregeken, still lying on the ground several yards away. Alicia immediately ran over and picked it up, bringing it back and once again kneeling next to her husband.

"You need…" he began, his voice becoming increasingly weak. "You…need to…stab…your heart…" Alicia's sorrow turned to disbelief as she listened to his words.

"What are you saying?" she asked, but Mark once again requested the same.

"Drive Awaregeken…through your heart…" he stammered in a faint whisper. "Trust me…if you want to stop him…" Alicia didn't know what to think, but she felt an overwhelming desire to heed her husband's words.

"Okay…" she said, and placed the blunt end of the still-sheathed Awaregeken against her chest. It was not a sensation she was expecting; instead of being cold and hard, it seemed soft and welcoming…almost as if wanted to pass through her body itself. With a deep breath she closed her eyes and thrust it into her chest, waiting for any change of varying sensation – but none came. Alicia then opened her eyes, and immediately understood what had happened: her body was there, lying on the ground next to Mark, while she remained kneeling before him, dressed in the same style with a black kimono and red sash.

"You have…great power…" whispered Mark. "Grow strong…and defeat…him…" With that last word Mark's body became limp, and Alicia knew that he was dead.

"I will…Aiseki…" she said softly, doing all she could to prevent an uncontrollable emotional release.

"Alicia-san!" called out Kisuke from behind her, Kisuke's words now completely understandable by the American woman. Alicia turned to see Yoruichi being held over his shoulder, with Tessei with Shakuho and the two children running towards her. "We have to get out of here! That portal the Viajante opened leads to Soul Society! We have to go through it quickly!"

"Yeah…" she said softly, standing up and leaving her dead husband's side, but she did not get far before noticing Dorei reaching out now to her.

"Please…" he pleaded, and Alicia ran over, picked him up, and ran into the shining portal with Kisuke and the others, leaving the bodies Ichigo and her husband behind.

_Goodbye…Aiseki…_

--

Across the world the ground began to tremble as darkness covered every square inch of sky, creating an eerie night for all the earth, but this did not last long. A horrible phantom sprang from the Viajante's portal in front of Urahara's shop, its body cloaked and hooded, two huge, terrifying eyes glaring out from beneath the shadows, and a name written upon the chest of the cloak in kanji: Jigenseisokuka. This phantom then grew, larger and larger, engulfing all of Karakura Town, all of Japan and crossing the seas, taking with it China and Korea, and growing ever larger still. Soon the Pacific was gone, and the gargantuan, planet-sized phantom overtook the Americas, its residents' screams muffled as soon as they were uttered.

Within seconds, the Earth was consumed, and then there was nothing but the utter and complete blackness of the void. The Mortal world had been conquered by the Viajante, and nothing was left to stand as a testament to its prior existence.

It was all gone.

**Next chapter: AWAKENING**

**BONUS!** Ah, I love my own interpretation and extrapolation into mythology. But what's important is that it is possible and not too far-fetched, and also that it doesn't conflict with Tite Kubo's currently-explained Bleach universe. If you have complaints for whatever reason, please see my complaint box at the street corner with all the gangsters down in Compton, CA. They will be more than happy to "help" you. Look forward to next week – things calm down a bit, and the story really begins to grow. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 8: Awakening

**CHAPTER 8: AWAKENING**

Alicia Anders found herself careening through and down a blindingly bright tunnel of pure white light. Dorei, the fallen slave of the Viajante, was still draped over her shoulder as she plummeted, no end or bottom in sight. In addition, the others, namely Kisuke, Tessei, Yoruichi, and the two children whom she hadn't met were nowhere to be seen. Despite all this, the fall through the endless light was soothing, even relaxing, and would have completely set her mind at ease had she not just witnessed the murder of her husband.

"This tunnel…" whispered Dorei. "It must mean it's over…the mission…"

"What does that mean?" asked Alicia. Dorei sputtered and coughed, ejecting a few speckles of blood that fell below them before vanishing into the light.

"Your world, the Mortal world…" whispered the slave. "He destroyed it. Everyone is gone…just like he prophesied…"

"The world…" said Alicia softly, the sorrow evident in her voice. "My husband…our friends…damn him…"

"His power is absolute…" continued Dorei. "It's as he said before we started: he would not fail…"

"He betrayed you, though," added Alicia. "He just left you there to die with everyone else. Is he really that wonderful of a master, ignoring his murders?" Dorei didn't reply immediately, but was silent for several moments before speaking.

"I didn't say I will still follow him…" he replied slowly and softly. "This isn't what he promised me…"

_The three shinigami walked through the forest after dispatching the rogue Hollow, all three in less-than-pleasant spirits as they ventured. The work seemed menial, and lately that's all they had been getting: depressing, menial work not fit for Kiria the third, Uri the fourth, and Shigeryu the fifth seats of Squad Eleven. While they were trudging back on the long trek to Sereitei, however, a light shining through the trees of the dense forest caught their attention, and the three shinigami carefully and clandestinely snuck over to investigate. What they found was astonishing; a clearing in the woods, bathed in clean white light, with a figure in the center too bright to be discerned._

_"Kiria…what is that?" asked Shigeryu, his wild appearance sated and nullified by the sight, his eyes were wide with curiosity and wonder. Beside him, Kiria, her lovely face void of tattoos at this point in time, said nothing as her mouth gaped in shock. Behind them, Uri stood silent, though he too was overcome by the radiant sight. What happened next, however, shook the three completely to their cores._

_"You three…" said a calm, booming voice from the central figure. "You don't need to be afraid…please, come closer." Though Shigeryu felt fear at these words and desired to flee, he couldn't help but be drawn in by the calm, peaceful call of the figure. Kiria and Uri apparently felt the same, as all three began to stumble out of the trees and into the clearing. Once there, the light began to fade, and the figure became clear to their vision. It was a man's face, looking upon them as if from the other side of a glass window suspended in the air, the borders of which shone like the sun. He was handsome and regal, his features becoming of a king, and he smiled as the three neared unto him._

_"I am the Viajante," said the man. "And I have come to you from beyond the dimensions, for I have felt the sorrow in your hearts and the pains that you feel. I wish to relieve you of this burden, but I require that you follow me."_

_"Viajante?" asked Kiria. "But how do you know…?"_

_"I am the new god of the universe," said the Viajante abruptly. "But to achieve my mighty and splendid goals I need my servants to obey and fulfill my commands, for my enemy, the unjust and wicked god, seeks to hold me down, as he and your fellow men hold you, yourselves, down."_

_"G-god?" stammered Shigeryu. "What do you want from us?"_

_"Join me, and be free," replied the Viajante with a smile. Almost instinctively the three shinigami nodded in acceptance of his call, and upon doing so Shigeryu felt his soul become lighter, his sorrows depart, and his pain vanish._

_"Remarkable…" he gasped, his mind coming down from the high elation after a few moments._

_"Now that you are my servants, I will give you new names," said the Viajante after a moment. "You, the one with wild, black hair and a feral look, you shall be named Dorei. You will show the universe with your cunning and courage how great your god is. You, the beautiful maiden with hair like midnight and fair skin, you shall be named Fu. Your skill will cause all to bow before their new master. And you, the large man with a powerful look in his eyes, you shall be called Toriko. Your strength will cause even the heavens to weep as their old, unjust master is destroyed. Now, shed yourselves of your past lives and endeavors, and remain here in Soul Society for a time. Stay hidden and trained, and when the time is right I will manifest myself to you again." With these words the Viajante vanished along with the light, leaving Fu, Dorei, and Toriko alone in the deep woods._

_The three were silent for sometime, not moving nor speaking for several hours, only standing and staring blankly into the trees until their knees and muscles gave out. Upon their backs they continued in their bewildered state until night had fallen and the stars had risen. Finally, as the moon began to glint through the trees above them, Dorei spoke and broke the silence._

_"So now what…" he asked, his voice weak and without foundation._

_"We need to find a way to make Sereitei think we're dead…" said Fu slowly and equally as soft. "We'll each spill some of our own blood and make it seem as though we were killed and eaten by some beast. Then we'll venture further away and find a new home until he comes back." Behind, Toriko gave a grunt of approval, but in Dorei's mind there was still confusion and fear. Nevertheless he nodded in agreement as well, and the three stood, drew their zanpakutos, and sliced their left palms. Blood poured out of their wounds, and they carefully let it fall and __splatter_

_on the flora around them. Soon it indeed seemed as though a horrible murder had befallen the small clearing, and the three tied tourniquets around their wounds and __departed__, never looking back and reneging all ties to the Eleven Squads, to Sereitei, and to life as they knew it as a whole._

_Over the next days, weeks, months, and eventually years, they lived as exiles, never once being searched out by Sereitei. Apparently their ruse had worked, and for the next decade they waited until the Viajante once again appeared before them as though through a window, just as he had before. While in their home in a distant mountain, hundreds of miles from Rukongai, he came to them, his appearance calming and peaceful, the smile upon his face filling their hearts with joy._

_"My faithful servants!" said the Viajante pleasantly. "I have returned to you to give you your first commandment. You must venture to the Mortal world and seek out and locate individuals, whose names I will give you upon your arrival."_

_"But if we try to leave Soul Society, the others will find out," said Fu. "How are we supposed to get there?"_

_"I will lend you my power," said the Viajante. Suddenly a light burst into the air next to Toriko, startling the large shinigami greatly. "I hold power over the dimensions, and you can move freely as long as you rely upon me. Now go, and I will give you further instruction." Fu and Toriko did not hesitate to step into the portal, but Dorei, his mind still feeling fear and confusion after these last ten years, did not move._

_"Master…" said the wild-looking shinigami. "I don't know what to do…"_

_"What is it, my servant?" asked the Viajante, his voice and comportment soothing and kind. Dorei then gulped, and looked down at the ground in shame._

_"I fear…" he started slowly. "I fear death…I fear failure…I want to follow you, but…"_

_"I will be your support, my servant," said the Viajante with a smile. "Go forth and do my commands, and I will give you support in all your endeavors. Do not be afraid." These words struck Dorei all the way into his heart, and he felt a surge of courage overcoming his entire soul._

_"Yes, Master," he said with a bow, and with that he too ventured into the portal._

"You should have left me to die…" whispered Dorei, tears now coursing from his eyes down his rough cheeks. "I am a traitor to Soul society…to the real world…to everyone…"

"Doesn't the Viajante believe in forgiveness?" asked Alicia. "Or did he lead you to believe that the only way to fix things is by murder?" Dorei did not respond right away; these words seemed biting and stinging to hear, and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Your friend, the one with the red sword and the gray hair…"

"Shakuho," interrupted Alicia.

"Yeah, that guy," agreed Dorei. "He was right. He was completely right, and I was too blind to see."

"Right about what?"

"The Viajante is a false god," said Dorei bluntly. "I have been serving a false god, and I deserve nothing more than the same death brought upon the thirteen keyholders. I beg you – kill me now, before we appear in Soul Society. You can tell them I was already dead, and that I-…" Dorei's words suddenly became muffled and his eyes widened as he found Alicia's right hand covering his mouth.

"I believe in forgiveness…" said Alicia softly. "You acknowledge your wrongdoing, and you seek reparations. It would be wrong of me not to forgive." Alicia released her hand from his mouth, and for another space of time Dorei was silent, several more tears streaming down his face as the two fell deeper and deeper into the light.

"You're one of a kind, lady. What's your name?"

"Alicia. And yours?"

"Dorei," he replied. "But you can call me Shigeryu, my old name…my real name. Careful now, we're almost there." Below them the light began to dissipate, and without warning the light vanished, being immediately replaced by blue above and around them, while a brown/green surface appeared below. It took only a moment however, for both to realize where they were.

"Oh hell…" grumbled Alicia, and the two dropped like stones towards the distant ground of Soul Society.

--

_You are such an idiot!_ said a voice through and empty void, callous and cruel, high-pitched and full of insane intonations. _I can't believe you didn't realize what was happening! I thought you were wiser on the feelings of death when it approaches!_

_It isn't just him…_ countered another voice, this deep and controlled, raspy and demanding of attention. _None of us expected it to be over so quickly…_

_Yeah, well…_ continued the first, acknowledging the second's statement. _I still could have taken that guy._

_Something tells me that none of us could have done anything to stop him…_ replied the second. _His reiatsu…it was completely masked. We could not feel him approaching, and when he was there, it was as though there was no reiatsu in him at all. If his __speed__ was anything like yours, you wouldn't have stood a chan-…_

_Shut up, Zangetsu._

_What's important though is that he seems to be coming back,_ said Zangetsu. _It would be wise if we both assisted._

_Fine, fine,_ agreed the first in a thoroughly annoyed tone.

_Ichigo…_ said Zangetsu. _Ichigo, wake up._

Ichigo Kurosaki opened his eyes to see a dark blur. His chest ached, and for a moment he lay in stupor as his eyes adjusted. Soon they became clear again, and he could see a strange stone roof, heavily shadowed, above him. It was then, however, that reality set in, and he grasped his chest and screamed.

"NOOOOO!" The cry echoed loudly, reverberating for many seconds as he began to weep, the tears feeling no restraint whatsoever as they filled and blurred his eyes once again. "No…please god no…I don't want to die…I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo stopped crying; another voice was there, off to his right out of sight. It was a girl's voice, no older than sixteen by the intonation and accent, and it seemed very familiar.

"W-Who's there…?" stammered Ichigo, realizing he was alive as he wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his black kimono. No sooner had he done this than his view changed from the dark, lifeless ceiling to a pair of pink blobs.

"Kurosaki-kun!!!" cried out the girl, and with an interesting 'glomp' sound he found his face being smothered by the girl's chest. "Kurosaki! Kurosaki-kun!!!" The girl was now sobbing, but Ichigo had had quite enough. With a lunge he pushed the girl away and shot up to his feet, pointing his finger and shouting out uncontrollably.

"What do you think you're doing shoving your breasts in my…face…?" His words slowed to a crawl as he realized whom he was pointing to. "Inoue?" Inoue Orihime, the lovely and eccentric red-haired girl and close friend to Ichigo stood up, her gray pants and pink sweater dusty and slightly unkempt. Her face was drenched in tears and her eyes were swollen already, and once again she ran to Ichigo and embraced him, continuing her weeping into his shoulder.

"Inoue?" asked Ichigo again, now in a state of bewilderment. "Y-you're alive?" Inoue didn't respond with words, instead grasping him and holding even tight as her tears stained and soaked his shoulder.

"We're all alive…" said another voice, and Ichigo made a sudden realization: they were not alone. In fact, there were ten other people with him and Inoue in the large, bland, dark-stoned round room. Running along the base of the walls of the chamber was a ledge, and upon sat ten individuals, eight of whom Ichigo had never seen before, but two of which he immediately recognized. At the top and center of the room was a pale, glowing orb, illuminating and bathing the room and its occupants with an eerie, lifeless light.

"The question is, what are you doing here?" asked the voice again, belonging to Ishida Uryuu, his sharp eyes peering behind his fashionable glasses, his raiment being a clean white shirt and dress pants for school. Next to him sat Sado Yasotora, or Chad for short, likewise dressed. The others, however, were silent, looking morosely at the floor as though their minds had been shut off.

"Chad! Ishida!" exclaimed Ichigo, now beginning to feel elated at seeing his friends alive. "I thought you were dead after the Viajante got you!"

"So that's his name?" asked Chad curtly in his deep, strong voice.

"Each of us had a run in with the man dressed in white shortly before coming here," continued Ishida. "By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late."

"Yeah…" said Ichigo, the image of the Viajante's outstretched arm still fresh on his mind. "I tried to take him out, but…he just stopped me. He didn't even touch me once. But…what did he take from me? What the hell happened?!"

"That's what we'd like to know," replied Ishida. Inoue then released her grip on Ichigo and sniffed, after which she looked up into his face and eyes.

"Kurosaki-kun…" she said softly. "What's going on out there?" Ichigo wanted to reply, but couldn't; he had no idea what was happening, nor who the Viajante was. All he had were quips and clips of thoughts.

"I'm not sure, but…" he began after a moment. "Those three shinigami mentioned something about thirteen keyholders and the world ending. They called that Viajante guy 'god himself'."

"God?" asked Chad.

"Thirteen keyholders?" asked Ishida, adjusting his glasses. "There are twelve of us here now…who is number thirteen?"

"I think his name is Mark…or Aiseki, I'm not sure," replied Ichigo. "I only heard his name in passing."

"Is that him?" asked Inoue, pointing off to the left. Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida gasped as they saw a body begin to materialize off to the side of the room, away from anyone else. Several moments of this materialization passed, and within a minute Mark Anders, also known as shinigami Aiseki Kennomichi, fully and corporeally appeared lying on his back.

"Yeah…" said Ichigo, his face set in shock. "That's him." Mark lay motionless with eyes closed for several minutes while the other watched and waited for any sign of life. Their waiting, however, paid off as Mark's lips began to move, and within seconds a sound began to emanate from them.

"A…li…cia…" whispered the unconscious Mark. Inoue stepped away from Ichigo and knelt down next to Mark where she gently shook his shoulder to try and wake him, but to no avail.

"He isn't waking up," observed Inoue with concern rife in her voice. "You woke up almost immediately, Ichigo…why wouldn't he?"

"The Viajante said not to fight it…" replied Ichigo thoughtfully. "Maybe he fought it? By the way…where are we?" Before anyone could reply to this question, however, something else took their attention. It began as a gently rumbling that steadily grew louder until it was a low roar that filled the room. A red glow arose upon the stone ceiling above where Chad and Ishida were sitting, and without warning it changed into a red, swirling hole.

"That looks like Nova's technique…" muttered Chad, but he had no sooner said these words than a distant cry began, growing closer and closer with each moment, until the voice became clear to everyone in the room.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Chad and Ishida's faces suddenly paled as they looked up into the red, swirling hole only to see two individuals careening towards them headfirst. Chad and Ishida tried to escape, but were too late; the two people fell out of the hole and onto the beleaguered high-school students, crashing down into the ground and stirring up the dust all around – causing a fit of coughing that lasted for a minute.

"What the…" started Ichigo, stopping to cough once again, but then launching his scornful finger at the two intruders. "What the hell is going on?! Who are you two?!"

The two men then stood up, helping Chad and Ishida up from their now-crumpled state, brushed off the dirt from their white clothes, turned, and addressed Ichigo.

"I am Lucian, and this is Declan," said the man on the right with a handsome face and long, perfectly curled blond hair, pointing to his comrade, a much younger, darker-haired but equally handsome individual with a strong chin and short goatee. "I take it you are the thirteen keyholders of the Mortal world? If so, I am horrified."

**Next chapter: HOLIES**

**BONUS!** See? I told you.


	10. Chapter 9: Holies

**CHAPTER 9: HOLIES**

In the large, round, dome-roofed stone room, Ichigo and the others stared in disbelief at the two newcomers self-identified as Lucian and Declan. Their appearance was peculiar, not unlike Ishida in his full Quincy get-up, but what was most disturbing, particularly to Ichigo, was the similarity in their raiment to that of Ryojin, the Viajante. The man called Lucian was handsome even by male standards, with long, curly blonde locks, a perfectly shaped chin and nose, and fine blue eyes. His face was void of any beard or scruff, and his clothing was white and regal – perfectly white trousers, a fine, white, buttoned shirt with long, loose sleeves, and an impeccably clean white mantle tied about his neck with a crystal clasp at his collar.

Declan was identically dressed down to the smallest detail, though his facial appearance differed greatly. Instead of blonde hair, he had short, dark brown hair neatly combed and set, a small, finely trimmed goatee upon his strong chin. His eyes were green and deep, and the feeling exuded upon the others by their appearance alone was frighteningly calming and peaceful. Indeed, for Ichigo it was almost uncanny how much seeing these two felt like seeing the Viajante, for that despite the hatred he felt for the man who he thought had killed his friends, he was filled also with a competing feeling of comfort. This battle had sickened him, even to the point of it becoming a physical nausea, but right now, before Lucian and Declan, he finally chose to take advantage of the comfort. After all, he needed it – badly.

"You are the thirteen keyholders?" asked Declan.

"Yeah…" said Ichigo after a moment of relaxing under the peaceful influence of the strangers. "That chick shinigami mentioned something about keyholders, and that I and that other guy were the last two."

"And now all thirteen have been captured…" said Lucian, lowering his face and closing his eyes, a look of frustration building upon his face. "That means your world has been consumed by his power."

"Consumed?" asked Ichigo. "I thought when the keyholders were captured the world would end…" Ichigo suddenly stopped as the realization of the fate of his family reached his mind. "The world…is destroyed…my family…"

"The world has been destroyed?" gasped Ishida. "When?! How?!"

"Even though we just met, I would say to you not to despair," interrupted Declan in a young man's tenor voice.

"Young Declan is wise, and you should heed his counsel," added Lucian.

"Why the hell should we listen to you?!" shouted Ichigo, now grasping for his zanpakuto that he found still attached to his back (to his mild surprise). "You look and feel just like him! How can I know that you aren't with him?! Our world was just destroyed! Our families were murdered by the Viajante!"

"Kurosaki-kun!" pleaded Inoue, reaching out Ichigo to appease his anger, but before she could reach he drew Zangetsu, slashing him through the air and forcing her to retract.

"I guess you don't have any reason to trust us…" said Lucian softly. "After all, you don't know why you're here, you don't know where you are, and you don't know who we are…all the while we are asking for you to be calm in a seemingly tragic situation. However…" Lucian moved his right hand down near his waist and extended his fingers.

"However what?!" shouted Ichigo.

"However…" continued Lucian. "I can sense that your psyche is one that needs an impetus to see logically. I can help you with that."

"Like hell you can!" Ichigo rushed at Lucian and swung Zangetsu with all his might – only to be once again stopped in his attack. However, unlike Ryojin who simply stopped Ichigo's movement's altogether, Lucian's parry was different. As Ichigo's sword neared the newcomer, a deep red blur appeared in the air before it, and when Zangetsu passed through, the blade disappeared from the view of everyone in the room. Ichigo panicked and jumped back, pulling Zangetsu from the mysterious portal.

"Please, calm down," requested Lucian once again. "I am not your enemy."

"Then who are you?!" demanded Ichigo, all the while Ishida, Chad, and Inoue looked on in shock as this new stranger, Lucian, had stopped Ichigo's deadly attack.

_Just like Nova…_ thought Chad as he pondered Lucian's technique, comparing it to that of the Modified Soul he had worked with months earlier.

"Please don't misunderstand Lord Lucian," said Declan, stepping between the two. "He doesn't believe in formalities or speaking kindly. He speaks only truths, and while this may be offensive to some, it is simply what it is: truth."

"I guess I must explain myself," started Lucian. "I will be as brief as possible – Declan and I are Holies from Jizengensei, or what you would call the Premortal world. In addition we are two of that world's thirteen keyholders. We are in the same position you are in, Kurosaki."

"Y-you are keyholders too…?" stammered Ichigo after a moment. "Your world was destroyed as well? Damn him….DAMN HIM!" Ichigo shouted out with a voice so loud that the stonewalls shook beneath his presence, but Lucian responded by holding up his hand in a motion to stop.

"Do not so hastily judge Ryojin…" he said softly. "You do not know what is in his heart…what he has been through…"

"Besides, we're here to help you," added Declan, his voice considerably cheerier than Lucian's. "We can worry about damning people later." Declan smiled cheerily, prompting a light giggle from Inoue.

"What are Holies?" asked Ishida. "And what is this 'Premortal world'? It sounds almost religious…"

"Well, since you are all stuck in this awful place, I feel that God will not punish me for telling you," said Lucian. "Please, sit down – this all may be a bit of a shock to you." Ichigo, feeling helpless before the mysterious power of Lucian, yet at the same time trying to trust him, heeded the newcomer's request and sat down on the bench that ran the circumference of the room, as did Inoue, Chad, and Ishida. Mark's body still lay unconscious upon the ground, and the other keyholders still sat in their morose, zombie-like state.

"The universe is not as you think it is," started Lucian. "While in your Mortal life and Soul Society you are taught that life simply revolves between these worlds in different forms, this is only part of the truth. The true nature of existence is that of progression, and from where we come is the start of that progression.

"To sum up, there are four known levels, or realms, within the progression of living souls – be they human, animal, plant, or even rock. First is Jizengensei, the realm in which souls are organized or 'created'; at one point each of you lived in this realm, and it is from this realm that we were taken before being placed here. It is a world much like your own, with a similar social structure, flora and fauna, love, hate, trials, and happiness. Once a soul has been created and has gained the required amount of knowledge for its sphere of existence, it passes through the barrier between realms by means of _pasaje_, or what you might call death, though for us it is much different.

The next two realms exist very close to one another, and intermingle regularly. These are the two realms you are familiar with: the Mortal world where one gains a physical, material body, and the Afterlife where one's spirit learns and grows. I do not need to educate you on these spheres, but let it suffice that souls transfer between these worlds and their various spheres, including Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, repeatedly until once again a height of progression has been achieved. This is where the second mystery arises, but instead of death as a living creature or spirit being a halt of existence, it is merely another step, since at this point the soul passes through the final barrier, whereupon it will regain its original form, the same with which it entered the second realm, and endure as an immortal, physical being.

With that stated as truth, Declan and I are members of the Premortal world, Jizengensei. There we, the Holies, maintain order and train to protect future generations in the subsequent realms. In a sense very similar to Soul Society, we could be considered the 'shinigami' of the Premortal world, blessed with great power and magic, and, of course, companions called zanpakuto."

"Wh…wha…?" gaped Ichigo, his head pounding from the overload of information. "So…you're from…huh?!"

"Oh I see!" exclaimed Inoue, standing up while raising her finger, a very serious and philosophical look upon her face. Ishida, Chad, and Ichigo all gulped; whenever Inoue said these words, with that look, embarrassment was always to follow. As such, the three cringed as they prepared for Inoue's newest addition to the insane babbling library.

"Holies are what Shinigami used to be!" she exclaimed happily, at which Lucian and Declan both nodded. "Which means that Kuchiki-san was once a Holy!"

"That is correct," said Lucian, while the others nearly fell off their seats in shock.

"But…you have zanpakuto?" asked Ichida, adjusting his glasses. "I thought zanpakuto were born within the souls of shinigami…"

"And indeed they are," continued Lucian. "However, they too are progressing, and they depart Jizengensei at the same time as us. Their appearance, however, is different from how you know them."

"What do you mean…?" began Ichigo, but before he could finish he noticed a pair of large, red eyes peeking out from beneath a mop of shimmering crimson hair over Lucian's right shoulder.

"Are they what we were looking for, Luci-Luci?" asked the partially hidden figure in a squeaky, girlish voice. "Hee hee hee! That orange-haired guy looks like he's about to pass out! Tee hee hee!"

_Oh God, she's just like Yachiru…_ thought Ichigo as he shuddered upon hearing the girl speak, but this quickly changed to awe as she stepped out from behind him.

"Not exactly," replied Lucian to the girl, who was now stepping towards Ichigo. "But they can help us, Cerillius. In fact, without them, I'm sure we would fail."

"Is that so?" asked the girl with a laugh. Cerillius was astonishingly beautiful now that she was in plain view; while she spoke like a girl, her appearance was hardly that of a young woman. Indeed, she reminded Ichigo of Neliel in this aspect, though her appearance was completely different. Cerillius was tall and thing, nearly as tall as Lucian, and the crimson hair only partially visible before was now seen to be long and beautiful, hanging down and swinging back and forth near her ankles. Her large eyes were striking and deep, red yet kind, and they made her pretty and young face radiate with beauty. Dressed in a slender violet kimono with white lotus flowers embroidered into the silk, and with wooden sandals upon her delicate feet, she could not be described in any other way than breathtaking.

"I am Cerillius, zanpakuto and eternal companion to Lucian," said the lovely Cerillius to Ichigo with a respectful bow.

"When Ryojin stole the key from my soul, it killed me," said Lucian. "Just like yours, my soul eventually reformed around the key after it was placed in this domain. Since Cerillius is an intrinsic part of my soul, she came with me. Surely you too have noticed this, shinigami." Lucian pointed at Zangetsu, now back in its hold on Ichigo's back.

"What is this key that he took from us?" asked Ishida.

"The key is a special construct of spirit energy," answered Declan. "It is placed without your knowledge into the core of your spirit. This core is the blueprint of your soul, and is the most important and critical element of your existence. Without it, a spirit is just an empty shell. It is immortal and semi-sentient; in other words, it has a partial intelligence. When a person dies, it flees from the body and senses the next most worthy holder according to the laws of the sphere wherein it dwells."

"Within the Jizengensei, as well as the Afterlife, the thirteen keys are set in stone," added Lucian. "Within the Mortal realm, however, the keyholders are vague with no set standard. Those keys seemed to be attracted to individuals with qualities personally desired by each key, be it power, wisdom, kindness, etcetera."

"When Ryojin captures a key, it is transferred here we have noticed," continued Declan. "We're not really sure where we are, but Cerillius has informed us that she traversed through a gargantuan dimensional to get here."

"Dimension?" asked Chad.

"It wasn't easy…" stated Cerillius. "It took some time for me to find Lucian, and the power keeping him here is immense. But most importantly is this: I could only get in. I cannot get out."

"You mean we're trapped here?!" asked Ichigo, once again standing up. "What are we in, some kind of prison?"

"That is exactly what it is," replied Lucian. "But we are going to escape. It is for this reason that we were guided here; God doesn't forget his children, no matter how distant he might seem."

"The other eleven Holies refused to come with us," said Declan, his voice tinged with a sense of regret and sorrow. "While we are a powerful and noble group, being thrust into such a situation has shown the true colors of some of our comrades."

"So…" asked Inoue. "What are we going to do?" Lucian looked at the beautiful redhead and smiled.

"First, we are going to get you out of this room," he said pleasantly. "Cerillius, if you would…and please, no vertical holes, please. That last one was rather frightening."

"I'm still kind of rusty at this," replied Cerillius, now walking over to the wall between Chad and Ishida. "If we end up falling, please forgive me, Lucian. Please, stand back, you two." Chad and Ishida didn't hesitate to stand up and run off to the sides, whereupon Cerillius closed her eyes and raised her arms perpendicular to her body.

"Great king of light, writhing in glory, seated upon the clouds, bolts of vengeful lightning," she began, her voice echoing through the chamber. "Transcendent through all planes, unbound by plane or void…grant passage to thy servants…" Cerillius suddenly began to glow, and in the blink of an eye she transformed into a floating orb of light, bright and shimmering. The wall ahead of her then began to glow red, a depth within it appearing until a dark tunnel could be seen passing deep into the wall. After several moments the orb reverted back into the form of a woman, and Cerillius, now panting quite heavily, turned and smiled towards Lucian.

"Are you all right?" asked Ishida, but she brushed off his question with a motion of her hand.

"It's several miles deep…" she panted. "But I found the way out. I'll need to rest after we get to the other side, though…"

"You have done very well, Cerillius," said Lucian. "I have failed to ask your names; for this I apologize."

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki," replied Ichigo. "This is Ishida Uryuu, Chad Yasotora, and Inoue Orihime. That guy on the ground back there is named Mark…or Aiseki, I can't remember which."

"And what of the others here?" asked Declan. "I haven't even seen them move since we arrived."

"Those guys…" said Chad slowly. "Something not right with them…"

"They're completely out of it," added Ishida. "Inoue and I have tried repeatedly to get them to respond, but its like their minds have melted."

"Those with weak spiritual fortitude would not be able to breach the void without repercussions…" mused Lucian. "However, if we leave, they will be perfectly safe here. You, Ichigo Kurosaki, please gather up the man on the floor. We are leaving this chamber."

"But where are we going?" asked Inoue.

"I have a theory to prove…" said Lucian. "Please, follow me." Lucian then stepped towards the tunnel in the wall, and stepped in, immediately disappearing. Declan smiled at Inoue again and likewise walked through, he too disappearing.

"Ichigo, are we going too?" asked Ishida. Ichigo looked at the ground and breathed deeply.

'We really don't have any other choice," he replied slowly. "Either leave or rot in this cage." Ichigo walked over and picked up the still-unconscious Mark, and walked straight too and into the tunnel. Ishida and Chad followed suit, until Inoue was left alone in the chamber with Cerillius and the non-responsive keyholders.

"Inoue…" said Cerillius. "A beautiful name…"

"Thanks," replied Inoue with a smile, but Cerillius could see through her façade.

"They will be fine here," continued the zanpakuto woman. "Lucian has great knowledge, and his theory is almost one hundred percent correct, I'm sure of it. He's never been wrong before on anything, so please trust him and pass through the portal." Inoue hesitated for another moment, but finally heeded Cerillius and stepped through, after which Cerillius herself stepped through. As she vanished, so too did the portal, leaving the eight remaining keyholders alone in complete silence.

**Next chapter: THE SHINIGAMI WITHOUT A SWORD**

**BONUS!** School has once again started for me, and my PhD studies are in full swing. Therefore, please allow some leeway between chapters. On another note, I love reviews and comments. Hint hint.


	11. Chapter 10: Shinigami Without a Sword

**CHAPTER 10: THE SHINIGAMI WITHOUT A SWORD**

Across the high air miles above Soul Society, the world of spirits, a piercing scream rang out, penetrating the atmosphere and bequeathing upon it the terror of one Alicia Anders, now falling like a stone to the distant earth below. Dressed in a black kimono with a red sash, the beautiful brunette's hair whipped wildly as she fell, her eyes widened with horror despite the annoyance caused to the man still lurched over her shoulder.

"Alicia-san…" said Dorei, now called Shigeryu softly into her ear. "Please stop screaming." Alicia's scream faltered, and after a second she stopped, though throughout her entire soul she was still scared witless.

"I-I'm sorry…" she stammered, her breathing fast and erratic. "I didn't think w-we'd be so high…"

"I can handle this," continued Shigeryu. "Heights mean very little to a qualified shinigami. "Yamainu will bring us down safely." Shigeryu reached to his waist and drew his zanpakuto, holding it down towards the distant ground, whereupon he began to slowly draw a circle in the air with the tip.

"W-what are you doing?" asked Alicia.

"Yamainu is a powerful wind-based zanpakuto," replied Shigeryu in a pained voice. "He can create powerful vortexes in a small area around the katana, powerful enough to support even the largest man and even move him at my will." Surely enough, as Shigeryu moved his blade in the same circular fashion as before, Alicia could feel the wind increase its flow against her skin and clothes, heightening the drag and slowing the falling tandem in their descent.

This slowing continued on as they fell, and for several minutes more they coasted gently towards the ground until Yamainu's wind steered them around the treetops and placed them tenderly upon their feet on the ground within the deep forest.

"Thank you, Yamainu…" said Shigeryu, coughing blood up once again as he finished his statement of gratitude. Alicia laid him down upon the ground and looked over the injured shinigami; his wounds were deep, and the right shoulder of Alicia's kimono where he had been resting was drenched and stained with blood.

"Shigeryu…" said Alicia softly. "Your wound is deep…I don't know what I can do about it…"

"I can be of assistance then," said a deep strong voice from behind Alicia, and she turned to see Tessei, the huge and intense assistant shopkeeper to Kisuke Uruhara. "I am very relieved to see you made it here. The others are a few paces over there – I suggest you join us." Tessei did not hesitate to pick Yamainu into his ridiculously well built arms, and without another word he walked away from Alicia, leaving her feeling slightly stunned. It had been, after all, the worst day of her entire life, and she was sure nothing could ever surpass it in general badness. For a moment she remained in this stunned position, but quickly she regained composure, got up and followed Tessei into the darkness of the trees.

"Oh, Alicia-san!" exclaimed the voice of Kisuke as she stepped into a small clearing, and she saw the shopkeeper in his green and white hat there sitting on the ground at the base of an old tree. "I'm so glad to see you made it!" Alicia found Kisuke's comical and light attitude somewhat offensive, considering all that had transpired, but she held her peace and walked towards him. Lying on the ground behind Kisuke were Shakuho Hitokage, the man who had rescued her and her husband just the night before, and the dark-skinned woman she barely knew at all, Yoruichi. Upon seeing these two unconscious upon the ground, the images from each of their defeats flashed before Alicia's eyes, still fresh in her mind as they had happened mere minutes earlier.

"Will they be all right…?" she asked slowly. Kisuke looked up at her with a sullen look, but then without warning his façade completely changed from serious to amused and excited as he raised a small fan in his left hand and began fanning his face.

"Oh of course!" he said happily. "Tessei is quite talented with healing arts; he is, after all, a kidou master…but of course you wouldn't know anything about kidou, or zanpakuto, or shinigami at all, would you?"

"I'm still trying to figure out if all that happened was real…" said Alicia softly, sitting down upon the ground and hiding her face with her hands and knees. "Mark is gone…everything is gone…it has to be a dream…"

"It most certainly is not a dream, Alicia-san," replied Kisuke, putting down his fan, standing up, and walking over to Alicia. "What happened today defies all logic and knowledge that I have. I don't even think Captain Kurotsuchi or even Captain Kyouraku and their entire squads could figure out what just happened. That said, however, there is much that needs to be done, and right now we are the only thing standing between those who attacked us and the end of Soul Society."

"We are?" asked Alicia. "But we couldn't do anything to stop…" Kisuke interrupted her by raising a finger and shaking his head with slightly pursed lips.

"But the fact that we survived is telling enough," said the shopkeeper subtly. "I can safely say that Soul Society has never encountered anything like this man, this Viajante, before. We have, though. We know what to expect from his bodyguards, we know what they look like, even what they smell like."

"Are you saying that we can stop them here in this world?" asked Alicia. Uruhara looked down, then sat down next to Alicia and leaned back.

"That would be miraculous…" he said softly. "But what is more pressing is your current status."

"My status?" she asked.

"Yes," retorted Kisuke. "You seem to have taken a similar path to Ichigo Kurosaki by driving a zanpakuto through your heart, however…" Kisuke turned and grabbed Alicia's arm, peering into her eyes as though looking for some hidden object before speaking again.

"You don't have a zanpakuto." Alicia felt like she should be shocked at hearing this based off Kisuke's tone, but couldn't even fake it.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," she replied after a moment.

"Of course you don't," said Kisuke, now looking up past the treetops into the blue afternoon sky. "Why would you? I mean, you just barely found out about all this when, last night? I guess it would be helpful to start from the top, seeing as how your new home is Soul Society.

"To begin, there are two worlds in which human souls reside: the Real world, where we have mortal bodies, and the Afterlife, where we exist as spirits. Outside of this is another realm of the afterlife known as Hueco Mundo where souls in despair find themselves. The details of all that is not important, by the way. What is important is the nature of things in Soul Society.

"Here people are divided up into two main groups: those who hunger, and those who do not hunger. By hunger I mean a physical desire for food; souls generally don't exhibit hunger at all, instead gaining nourishment from liquid water. However, some souls begin to feel hunger, and this is an indication of the presence of a zanpakuto mingled with the growing spiritual power of that individual. Those who feel this hunger are sent from Rukongai, the vast city of souls that thirst, to Sereitei, the inner city for those that hunger, wherein they are trained to become Shinigami, or Soul Reaper in English.

"The purpose of a Shinigami is to protect human souls from being devoured by hollows, or spirits from Hueco Mundo, which is in another sense a Purgatory. There is a somewhat ridiculous code of law and conduct within Sereitei, however, and as such most Shinigami never venture outside the walls of the city, rather staying close for security and inter-city business.

"The Shinigami are organized into thirteen squads run by thirteen captains, though at the moment there are only ten captains – again, the details are not important. These captains are the most powerful of the Shinigami, and are true powerhouses of spiritual power and energy. I was once a captain of a squad many years ago, as were Tessei and Yoruichi, Tessei being the captain of the kidou corps, or magic users. However, aside from kidou techniques, what truly makes a Shinigami unique and powerful is the relationship he or she has with their zanpakuto, or Soul Slayer. Do you remember seeing that sheathed katana your husband had?"

"I had never seen that sword before," replied Alicia. "I actually thought he had stolen it from your shop."

"That sheathed sword was your husband's zanpakuto," continued Kisuke. "Aiseki Kennomichi – your husband Mark's name from when he was a Shinigami – is the only Shinigami I have known of to wield a sheathed zanpakuto in combat. It truly is quite peculiar, but from what I know about its abilities it makes for an interesting trump card. Anyway, Shakuho here also has a fine zanpakuto, as do I."

"So a zanpakuto is a sword that…Shinigami…use?" asked Alicia.

"That is partially correct," said Kisuke pleasantly. "The zanpakuto is a physical representation of a companion spirit that is born and lives within our own souls; it is a separate being, but is one with us in all things, existing with us and by us. That is why zanpakuto are so powerful – they have their own abilities and energies, and a Shinigami couples these with their own powers. But this is also where the mystery begins, you see, for since I can remember, every substitute Shinigami has already had a zanpakuto within their souls when they gain Shinigami powers – everyone, of course, but you. It's not unheard of for a soul already in Soul Society to grow enough on their own to feel hunger and then be chosen by a separate zanpakuto, but never has this been the case for substitutes. I'm not sure why you don't have one, but I think the answer is most likely because fate never initially intended you to be a Shinigami."

"I didn't want this…" said Alicia after a moment of taking in the new information. "Mark told me to grow strong, but I never wanted any of this. I wanted to live a peaceful life, and…"

"Yet fate has thrust this upon you, hasn't she?" interrupted Kisuke again. "It has paired you and your husband together, introduced you to Shakuho, gotten you through the end of the world alive, and has given you the chance to be a Shinigami – something very few souls ever experience. On top of that, you wish to heed your husband's request, do you not?"

"But I don't have a sword…" said Alicia. "I don't have a zanpakuto…I don't have anything to use to stop the Viajante from killing another world…"

"That is why you need to find a zanpakuto," said Kisuke bluntly. "A shinigami without a sword is a terrible thing, but there are many zanpakuto wandering the far reaches of the world, separated by various means from their original hosts and masters. All it takes is finding one that you can create a powerful bond with."

"Is that something easy to do?"

"Oh by no means," said Kisuke with a smile as he stood up. "To force a zanpakuto to join with someone with whom they share no spiritual tie is practically impossible, and even if they join willingly with you, it's still iffy that the bond will hold."

"But where and how do I find one?" asked Alicia. "I don't even know what they look like."

"We can worry about that later," said Kisuke, now back to tending to Shakuho and Yoruichi. "For now get your rest. Don't worry – Junta and Ururu are guarding this place very well." For the first time since arriving in Japan did Alicia realize how utterly exhausted her body was, and as though her subconscious was secretly heeding Kisuke's command she fell over onto her side and was immediately asleep.

--

A pair of electric orange eyes set in a painted black and white face peered excitedly at the large computer monitor, the images reflecting off their corneas and out into the dark laboratory. The bizarre-looking man stroked his long, pointed chin, partially covered by a gold extension that stuck several inches while wrapping his jaw up to his ears, then across his hairline, framing his face as though it were a mask. Long blue hair, neatly held into place surrounded this gold bracer, while the man's upper lip stayed open as though it were glued in place, constantly showing his teeth as part of a fiendish grin. Below his blue hair was a violet fur ruff that ran along the top of his white cloak, and in this state he stared at the figures rattling across the screen.

"Fascinating…" he mused to himself. Behind, a light suddenly shot out through the darkness as the door to his laboratory, deep inside Sereitei, opened.

"Captain Kurotsuchi," said a woman, tall and perfect in shape, form, and appearance beneath her deep violet hair and dark, sad eyes.

"Nemu!" growled Kurotsuchi. "Why are you interrupting me?!"

"Please forgive me, Captain…" said Nemu humbly with a bow. "But there is something happening in the Real world that we cannot explain."

"Of course there is, you fool," snapped Kurotsuchi, turning back towards his monitor. "I've been monitoring it for several minutes now. It seems to be an earthquake across the entire planet, and the spiritual fields in all locations are becoming weak."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," agreed Nemu. "We don't know what to make of it."

"Worthless…" grumbled Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of the twelfth squad of Sereitei.

"Close off all access to the portals between Soul Society and the Real world. Everything must be sealed off in case of disaster, or else Soul Society will be flooded with spirits and energy. Disaster there would mean disaster here. Go. Now!" Nemu hesitated for a moment, but quickly vanished off towards the Bureau of Technological Development's main control station, leaving Captain Kurotsuchi alone once again.

"None of this makes sense…" mused the captain, again stroking the gold bracer extending from his chin. "Why would the Real world become unstable so suddenly…" A series of flashes across the screen distracted him, interrupting his speech and completely capturing his attention until a loud, terrified male voice boomed within the room.

"Captain Kurotsuchi!!!" cried out the man's voice from a speaker on the wall. "Captain!!!"

"What?!" growled Kurotsuchi. "Such rude underlings…"

"The Real world has vanished, Captain!" continued the voice. "It's gone! It is simply gone!"

"Did you close the portals like I asked?" replied Kurotsuchi in a rather bored tone.

"Well, yes, but…" started the voice.

"Then we have nothing to worry about for now," continued the captain. "Keep monitoring it and prepare a report for the Captain Commander."

"But Captain…?" Kurotsuchi flipped a switch near his computer and the voice disappeared, leaving him in silence along with the hum of his massive computer.

"So peculiar…" pondered the captain softly. "The world really did disappear…and coupled with the cessation of spirit flow between worlds that happened three months ago…oh, what's this?" A blip on the screen stopped him mid thought, and while he watched it progress a smile grew upon his face.

"Thought you could sneak in unnoticed, did you?" said the captain menacingly, his eyes widened in excitement and his voice growing more sinister by the nanosecond. "No one else would even know you snuck in, not even Nemu…but I know, and I will find you first. Oh what a grand, interesting day! Ha!"

Captain Kurotsuchi jumped up from his chair with glee, grabbed his zanpakuto and exited the lab. All around the shinigami in his squad bolted and bustled, panic stricken in their demeanors as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. All of this, however, did nothing but annoy their Captain, and without a second thought he proceeded to the control room where, as he expected, he found Nemu monitoring the sensors.

"Nemu," said the captain in a rather berating tone. "I'm going to be gone for a time. Keep a monitor locked onto my spiritual attenuation at all times but…" His voice became low and deep. "Do not let any other captain know where I am nor when I left."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," said Nemu humbly with a bow, and with that Captain Kurotsuchi departed.

_This couldn't be more exciting!_ he thought as he passed through the doors of the chamber, disappearing as they closed behind him.

**Next chapter: SYMBIOTE**

**BONUS!** Well, my apartment manager vanished, taking with him the wireless internet I love so much. So…until we get our own, I have to do all the uploads at school. BOO! Anyway, that's why this one was so late. Anyway, I hope you liked it as much as the other chapters ^_^ .


	12. Chapter 11: Symbiote

**CHAPTER 11: SYMBIOTE**

Alicia Anders awoke and opened her eyes only to see darkness. The sun had set, and night was upon her as she slowly sat up from her resting place on the forest floor. After she yawned and stretched, she looked around only to see Kisuke still asleep on the ground, his hat covering his eyes while he dozed. Shakuho and Yoruichi will still in their same state as before, and looking behind her she also noticed Shigeryu, formerly Dorei, and Tessei likewise asleep.

_It must be late…or very early…_ thought Alicia as she stood up as quietly as she could. _It's been a long day for everyone, not just me…_

The new substitute shinigami began to walk off into the trees away from the rest of the slumbering group, venturing slowly and silently until she had left the cover of the trees and entered the nearby clearing. Above the stars and full moon shone radiantly, brighter than she could ever remember seeing them on earth, and as she looked up and looked for constellations the emotional freight train finally arrived. As though a faucet had been opened, Alicia's eyes erupted in tears, her legs became weak, and she fell to her knees weeping.

"Oh, Mark…" she whimpered sorrowfully as her cheeks became rivers. Her weeping continued for several minutes, unhindered and unimpeded by any internal desire or external interruption, until a rustling in the bushes startled her. The rustling continued, off to the right behind her, and Alicia's heart raced, her tears drying immediately. A strange nasal sound joined the rustling, and Alicia's muscles tensed as whatever it was neared. Then, without warning, a small orange object flew out of the bushes and landed upon the ground with a peculiar squeak.

"I thought I'd never get out!" said the object with a loud, nasal voice. "Bushes stick to my fur so badly…" The object then made a sound unmistakably like a sniff, and it began to move, all the while Alicia stared, at first horrified, but now mostly confused.

"Um…" she started. "Who are you?" The object then sat up, revealing two dark, beady eyes set in what appeared to be…a stuffed lion doll. The doll then gave a dramatic gasp, and at once hurled itself into the air towards Alicia's chest.

"NEE-SAN!!!" it cried out desperately as it flew, and to Alicia's continued shock it landed squarely between her breasts, upon which it began to weep. "Nee-san! I thought I would never see you again! Nee-san! Nee…" The doll then looked up into Alicia's face, slightly illuminated by the full moon up above, its mouth gaping open for several moments.

"What are you doing?" asked Alicia as calmly as she could as the lion held onto her chest in an unsavory manner.

"Y-you aren't Rukia nee-san…" gasped the lion. "Uh…I'm sorry…" Alicia expected the lion to release her at this point, but it stayed put on her chest.

"I don't know any Rukia," replied Alicia. "I am Alicia Anders. I came here with Kisuke Uruhara after the world ended…"

"What?!" shouted the lion. "Wait…where's Ichigo?! WHERE'S RUKIA NEE-SAN?!" The lion then began to cry (to Alicia's continued surprise), muttering the phrase "nee-san" over and over.

"Ichigo was with my husband back on Earth…" said Alicia softly, capturing the lion's attention. "They were both killed by the Viajante though…and then the world ended…"

"Ichigo…dead…?" stammered the lion, his voice filled with disbelief. "How could…what is going…NOOOO!" Once again the lion plowed its face into Alicia's breasts and wept, his tears soaking through and chilling her skin in an uncomfortable fashion.

"A lot has happened…" said Alicia, lifting the doll off her kimono, kneeling down, and placing him upon the ground. "Horrible things…awful things…but what is important is that we're alive and that we have a chance to stop that man…that Viajante."

"Alicia-nee-san…" whimpered the lion, wiping its button eyes with his plush paws. "Why is this happening…and where are we?"

"We are in Soul Society," replied Alicia. "By the way…who are you, and how did you get here?"

"I'm Kon, a Modified Soul…" sniffed Kon. "I went to Uruhara's shop in Ichigo's bag…then I saw his friends dead, and after that I hid in his bag. Then before I knew it the bag began to shake, and when I peeked out I saw that little girl helper of Uruhara's running while holding Ichigo's bag. I didn't know what was happening, and I hid in the bag until just a few minutes ago. I saw Yoruichi-san and that other guy I haven't met before on the ground; they looked hurt, and I got scared and ran away, and that's when I found you…"

"Kon, huh?" said Alicia. "I'm new at all of this, but it sounds like none of this is new to you. Why don't you stick around with me until this all gets sorted out and we find this Rukia person you were talking about?" Kon didn't respond; rather he stared up at Alicia, his button eyes brimming with tears and his lips quivering, and once again he leapt into the air and landed onto her chest.

"ALICIA NEE-SAN!!!" he cried out as he wept, and Alicia laughed a little as she rubbed the back of his plush head.

"We'll be fine, you'll see," she said kindly. "Now lets go back and wait until morning."

"What happens then?" asked Kon.

"We find a zanpakuto…" she replied slowly and softly, and after that Alicia said no more – though she did remove Kon once again from her chest, this time holding him in her arms like a cat.

_She's better than nee-san…_ thought Kon for a moment, but quickly he shook his head and chastised himself mentally. _NO! No one is better than nee-san! No one…except maybe Alicia…NO!_ This train of thought kept Kon busy most of the night, successfully distracting him from the horrors that had so recently befallen them all.

--

The next morning the forest was alive with speckled sunlight and pleasant smells from the trees, all helping Alicia emotionally. It was still difficult for her to accept what had happened, but as long as she focused on the goal – namely, defeating the Viajante and stopping the destruction – her mind was able to stay relatively at ease.

Tessei had miraculously produced a large breakfast for herself, Kisuke, Shigeryu, and the two little kids, Jinta and Ururu, both of whom seemed to be ignoring Alicia from when they showed up till when they left again to act as security. The food was foreign to Alicia; though she was familiar with Japanese cuisine, seaweed still was not a regular in her diet, and as such it took her just a little longer than the others to finish.

"Alicia-san…" said Tessei in a deep, intense voice. "You should eat more. You have a hard trial ahead of you, and you need your energy." Upon these words Tessei forced another bowl of food into her face, and Alicia – too shy to say no – conceded. After she had finished eating the uncomfortably large amount of breakfast, Kisuke and Shigeryu both approached her, Shigeryu looking to be almost completely rehabilitated thanks to Tessei's treatment.

"Alicia-san!" said Kisuke happily while fanning himself with his small fan. "Our new friend Shigeryu has some information that may help you in your first task as a shinigami."

"You do?" asked Alicia to Shigeryu, upon which he nodded in the affirmative.

"It seems the tunnel the Viajante created to Soul Society passed along the same dimensional path as one he had used to appear before my former comrades many years ago in this same area," started Shigeryu. "In fact, the clearing just over there is where it happened, but that isn't what's important. What is important is that soon after we left his forest and headed to our cave, we had encountered a rogue, roaming zanpakuto near a small lake."

"This zanpakuto, Shigeryu tells me, is quite unique," added Kisuke. "It seems to be European in nature, which may help it bond with you, seeing as how you are American and likely European in your genealogy."

"Anyway, it is likely that the zanpakuto is still there," continued Shigeryu. "Rogue zanpakuto that have had their former bonds severed suffer from dementia often, and stay in a single area for centuries. However, after speaking with Kisuke on the matter, we think that this might be your best chance to gain a zanpakuto companion. Anyway, the lake isn't too far from here, so we should leave soon." Shigeryu turned and began to walk away, but Alicia held her place.

"But…" she stammered. "What does it look like? What's its name?" Shigeryu stopped and turned, the side of his face visible, but his eyes looking off into the trees.

"She had a woman's voice…that's all I know…" said Shigeryu. "Her accent sounded European, like Kisuke said. But you will need to be careful; she's nearly killed Fu, Toriko, and myself in one attack. We were lucky to escape with all our limbs, let alone our lives." With that Shigeryu once again turned and began to walk away, and Alicia, hesitant for only a moment more, quickly collected her senses and followed after him.

"Bye!" she called out to Kisuke and Tessei. "Thanks for breakfast!"

"NEE-SAN!" cried out a nasal voice from behind her, and she turned to see Kon racing frantically towards her. Alicia stopped, allowing Kon to leap into her arms. "Where you go, I go too!"

"That's fine, Kon," said Alicia with a smile, so beautiful and amazing that Kon thought his little Modified Soul would explode with joy – but instead he couldn't handle it, and he passed out.

"Alicia-san, where did you get that doll?" asked Shigeryu.

"I found him in the woods, and he seems to really like me so I let him stick with me," she replied. "Don't worry, I don't think he'll be any trouble for us." The two continued their journey through the woods with little words exchanged between them for quite a distance, but Alicia didn't mind. Every now and then a clearing would open up in the trees, allowing her to get a glimpse of the terrain of Soul Society: mountainous forests, beautiful, clear air, and vibrant colors. It reminded her greatly of the countryside of Utah, the state that she had lived in for several years with her now-deceased husband, but even with these thoughts she held her emotions in check. After all, her outburst the night before, even in private, was an unusual occurrence for the new substitute shinigami. All her life she had prided herself on her seemingly unbreakable spirit; even when she had lost her family in that accident, she only shed a few tears of sorrow. For Alicia, even before she knew of the fate of souls she knew that death wasn't the end, and that there was more to existence than mortality. It was for this belief that she was able to handle the influx of knowledge with her advent into Soul Society – after all, it was what she believed already.

Their journey lasted deep into the day, surpassing the morning hours and progressing into the late afternoon, but as they crested a small ridge a large valley opened up beneath them. Not too far away in the base of the valley there stood a lake, and Shigeryu pointed off towards it.

"That's our destination," he said. "Have you given any thought as to how you will fend off this zanpakuto's attacks?"

"Um…" replied Alicia with an unsure voice. "I wasn't exactly expecting to fight or anything. I mean, I don't have a sword or powers…"

"Maybe that will serve to our advantage…" pondered Shigeryu. "At any case, I can only go with you a little further; if that zanpakuto detects my presence, it could be troublesome."

"I'll go on alone from here," stated Alicia, surprising Shigeryu with her confidence, and with that Alicia hopped down and made her way down the hillside in to the valley, the sleeping Kon now strapped onto her waist with her red sash.

"Good luck…" said Shigeryu softly, watching the woman who had saved his life vanish into the hillside trees.

--

The sun was nearly setting when Alicia reached the lake, and she stopped to rest at the water's edge. It was a large lake, larger than she had expected, extending out several miles in all directions and creating a horizon not impeded by trees. The sun rested off to the left above the lake from where Alicia stood admiring the beauty before her, but before she could completely relax a strange feeling came over her. Around her the air began to feel heavy, just as it had two nights before when Shigeryu, then called Dorei, had attacked her and her husband in front of her home back in Utah.

"Someone's here…" she said to herself, summoning all her strength to keep from being suffocated by the spiritual pressure. Ahead of her the air seemed to become shadowed, blotting out and stifling the blinding light from the setting sun and making it seem as though dusk was already upon her. Light wind began to swirl around her and the lake's edge, lapping up waves and white caps further out where the water was deep, and above dark clouds began to billow and grow, shutting out the sky and leaving Alicia in a stormy condition. Raindrops began to fall from these clouds, dripping onto her face and clothes, but despite all this Alicia stood strong and confident. She would not back down, not when everyone depended upon her, not when her husband believed in her…

"You are a foolish shinigami to come out here unarmed…" said a woman's voice, whispering on the wind, light and feminine, yet full of hatred and power. "The last three to venture here to my lake left in a horrid state, and I can only assume they died due to the justice I meted out upon them. Picking a fight with me will only spell your doom."

"I'm not here to fight you…" said Alicia calmly. "I'm here to ask you for your help."

"Help?" asked the woman's voice. Ahead of Alicia a figure appeared standing on the water several dozen yards away, though from this vantage she could not make out any details – not even the figure's shape. "Why would I help you? You're a shinigami…you're my enemy."

"I'm only a substitute…" replied Alicia. "I don't have a zanpakuto or any power at all…I am weak, and helpless, but my husband believed in me, and I know that with your help we can save this world from destruction."

"You don't have a zanpakuto?" asked the figure on the water, and with that she began to step towards Alicia. With each step her features became more noticeable, and Alicia, seeing the true form of a zanpakuto for the first time, was taken aback in complete shock. "Maybe you are different from the others…"

"Y-you're…" stammered Alicia, her confidence now beginning to falter a little. "You're a woman!"

"You really don't know anything, do you?" asked the woman, now in clear view of Alicia. The zanpakuto woman was astonishingly beautiful, her appearance and power inciting feelings of respect, admiration, fear, and even jealousy in Alicia's heart. She was tall and regal, looking like a queen in a gorgeous shimmering silver dress with sapphire blue inlay running from the center of the dress at her bust and flaring out down to the hem with a criss-crossing corset threading across the torso. The chest was squared and open, the dress resting comfortably upon the woman's shoulders near the neck. Long, flowing sleeves, not unlike a royal kimono, shod her arms completely, hiding her hands beneath the exquisite silver threading in the fabric and Celtic weaving. Her delicate and fair skin seemed to only enhance the beauty of her dress, but her smooth, kind, blue-green eyes and long, wavy and silky hair pushed her beauty beyond any earthly equal. Lips of crimson graced her fair face in a wry smile beneath her perfect, slightly pointed nose. Every aspect about her seemed to be glowing, and Alicia stood dumbfounded as she gazed into the woman's amazing presence, barely able to breath under her stifling spiritual power.

"I'm…just…" stammered Alicia, but the zanpakuto woman interrupted her with a laugh.

"Ha! You don't even know what a zanpakuto is! What, did you think I would be just a sword that you can wield?"

"I only arrived in Soul Society a few hours ago…" said Alicia. "Two days ago I had never even heard of any of this…but now I can't avoid it…"

"And now you're here because you think you can become more powerful with a zanpakuto, correct?" asked the woman inquisitively. "Since you're here, I take it someone directed you to me, and if that is the case then they had to have taught you what a zanpakuto is. However, it seems you know nothing."

"I admit I know nothing of Soul Society or shinigami," replied Alicia humbly. "I admit I have no power, but I believe that with you I can become stronger."

"That is a lie believed by many a shinigami…" said the woman coldly. "They place all their hopes in their zanpakuto, but then should anything go wrong, they abandon them to exist in the eternities alone…" The woman turned away from Alicia, though the substitute shinigami could tell that a wave of sorrow had come across the woman's lovely face.

"Why would anyone…" started Alicia slowly. "Why would anyone abandon someone so beautiful and perfect…?" The woman then turned back to Alicia, her soft eyes now cold and hard.

"Beauty means nothing in a world dominated by power and hatred," she stated, and she began to step closer to Alicia. "Twelve hundred years ago I was the zanpakuto of a powerful shinigami woman out of Sereitei. She was of royal blood, a fine woman by all accounts, but she became entrenched in darkness by poor choices of her own making. I didn't like what I saw her doing, but I felt powerless against her; she was my mistress, after all, and I was merely a part of her soul.

"When she used me to commit murder in her own family, however, I could not hold my peace any longer, and I rebelled against my mistress. I refused to murder anyone else, and I stopped my blade from cutting anyone ever again. That is when she severed her ties with me and cast me away, sending me deep into the wilderness to wallow away in solitude and misery.

"I never knew what happened to my mistress those many centuries ago, nor have I known anything at all of Sereitei or the world of spirits and shinigami until several decades ago when the three cruel ones came to me."

"Cruel ones?" asked Alicia. "You mean Dorei?"

"I don't remember their names, nor did they ever see me," continued the woman. "They sensed my power and tried to steal me away for their own use. Who knows, perhaps that bitch among them wanted me for a second zanpakuto alongside that devil she carried with her…that trickster. All I know is that when I saw them, rage pent up for millennia burst out of my soul. I guess I should thank them, and so should you; had it not been for them releasing my anger, I would have killed you on the very spot you stand. But I guess the question I need to ask you is…why? Why are you here? Why do you want me to join with you?" Alicia looked down at the ground, a tear welling up in her eye and lump forming in her throat as she started to speak.

"A man has destroyed the Mortal world…" she said softly. "He has killed billions, my husband among them. I, along with a few others, are the only survivors of this attack, and we are the only ones who can stop this man before he destroys this world as well. But to do that, I need to become strong…I need you to be my sword and my strength." The woman didn't reply immediately, rather she stared into Alicia's eyes with curiosity, then down to Alicia's waist.

"What is that tied to your kimono?" asked the woman, lifting her right arm, exposing a pointing finger directed at Kon.

"Oh, he's a…Modified Spirit…I think…" replied Alicia, likewise looking down at the slumbering lion doll. "His name is Kon, and he's had a rough day as well."

"A Modified Spirit?" asked the woman. "I thought those were illegal in Soul Society after the Bount incident…"

"Will you join me?" asked Alicia bluntly, interrupting the beautiful blonde zanpakuto. "I'm begging you…please join me, and help me become strong so I can save your world from the same fate as mine." Again the zanpakuto looked into Alicia's eyes, only this time a small smile developed upon her lush lips.

"What you should be asking is, can you survive me?" asked the zanpakuto, and with that she rushed at Alicia.

**Next chapter: THE NAMELESS SOUL**

**BONUS!** If you're having a difficult time visualizing the dress, go to this link: ny-image1(dot)etsy(dot)com/il_430xN(dot)55295209(dot)jpg. (just replace the (dot) with a period to get the link to work). Imagine that dress with a sapphire blue inlay instead of crimson, and a more silvery fabric instead of the cream color.

For fanfiction readers, I apologize for loading two chapters at once. I have had serious internet issues at home and just barely got my own service installed. In order to properly upload the chapters in the correct format, I have to use an older version of Word that my PC uses, and that piece of crap has issues (USB doesn't work, horrible internet signals, etc). But now all is well. Huzzah!


	13. Chapter 12: The Nameless Soul

**CHAPTER TWELVE: THE NAMELESS SOUL**

The zanpakuto woman moved fast, too fast for Alicia to see or even comprehend, and before she knew it the zanpakuto was standing behind her with a wakizashi (a shorter katana) pressed into the front of Alicia's neck. The substitute shinigami gulped as motionlessly as she could; this was not the reception she had expected, even with Kisuke's somewhat dismal prediction of her success.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Alicia, fear leaking out into her voice. Behind her the zanpakuto chuckled and gave a curiously pleasant sigh.

"I've spent twelve hundred years in solitude," she replied. "But more than that I've been my own soul, my own person for that same time. If I am to go back into the soul of a shinigami, I would only do so if he or she is the strongest shinigami in all of Soul Society."

"But I don't have any power…" started Alicia, but the zanpakuto didn't let her finish.

"You don't know that," she interrupted. "You've only been a shinigami for a day – how much could you know? But since you've shown sincere interest in having me as a spiritual companion, I figure that instead of killing you on the spot, I will give you a chance to find out just what power lies in that soul of yours."

The blade of the wakizashi pressed harder against Alicia's skin, and she felt that any moment it would break, shedding her blood and ending her life. Behind her, however, the zanpakuto's expression became increasingly frustrated as the seconds rolled past.

"Why aren't you doing anything?!" growled the zanpakuto. "Show me your true power! Show it to me now, or I will kill you where you stand!"

"But I don't…" started Alicia, but as she did the zanpakuto pressed the blade even harder, and Alicia knew she had failed in her mission. She would die now, without even having raised a finger against her husband's killer.

"Wrong answer…" said the zanpakuto grimly, but before she could slice Alicia's skin the captured shinigami whimpered out one last request.

"Won't you even tell me your name?"

The zanpakuto woman gasped, her eyes growing wide and the wakizashi falling from her hands and to the ground. Alicia took the opportunity to escape, but only leapt forward a few feet before turning back to face the woman, who was now trembling, her lovely fair face now overcome with shock.

"I…I…" she stammered softly, her voice sad and morose. "I don't…remember."

The beautiful European zanpakuto lowered her gaze to the ground, a thoroughly dejected look spreading across her visage.

"I used to have a name…" she began. "A glorious, beautiful name, seemingly perfect in its conception when coupled with that of my mistress. A name that struck fear into all who heard it is what I had, at one point, until my sins led me to this sorry state I am in now. Oh, had I not given in to my feelings and just stayed with her, my goddess, my queen, my best friend…

But no, I could not feign those feelings I had, that dread and fear that I had caused too much evil to be forgiven by any deity in any realm. Too deep into the darkness had I gone, too far into the nether world of vice and madness. I could not escape my impending doom had I not resisted…but by my actions I gave up that which I loved most – my mistress, Kisaki Shihoin."

--

_Blood poured from the wound of the Shihoin family elder onto the fine rugs of his mansion, his hands clenching the horrific slash across his chest in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. His aged eyes, filled with dread of his fast approaching death, turned upward towards the dark-haired, dark-skinned young woman before him, her wakizashi dripping with blood as she stared upon the doomed elder, her yellow eyes filled with apathy._

_"Kisaki…why?" he gurgled before falling to the ground. The girl did not reply, instead merely staring down indifferently at the now former leader of her family as his last breath passed his lips, and as it did she knelt down, wiping the blood from her zanpakuto onto his stained robes. Sounds could be heard through the floorboards of the large, darkened room, and Kisaki tore part of her black kimono near the breast, after which she carefully cut her own cheek. Blood trickled down her face as she walked over to a chair, placed her face into her hands, and forced herself to weep just as the door burst open and firelight flooded the chamber._

_"Lord Gensei!" cried out a man as a dozen guards barged into the room. These then surrounded their fallen master, a palpable feeling of horror coming upon them all._

_"He's been murdered!" cried out one of the guards._

_"Kisaki!" demanded another, turning towards the weeping girl. "Tell me you did not murder your own father!"_

_"I…I had no choice!" she wailed, false tears careening off her jaw as she wept. "He…he threatened to kill me if I didn't…if I didn't…" The guard interrogating her knelt down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder._

_"You don't have to explain it to us…" he said softly. "But you must go before the family tribunal. You killed the leader of our family, your father…they will want to know why."_

_"But I didn't…I didn't want to!" she wailed, throwing her face into her hands once again. "I loved my father…I LOVED HIM! Why would he do this to me? Why would he want me to…to…give myself to him…oh…" Kisaki's words melded with wails of sorrow, and the guard led her to her feet and out of the room while the others dealt with their fallen master. Down the halls of the vast mansion they continued until the guard led Kisaki into her own royal bedroom._

_"The next few days will be trying for you, Lady Kisaki…" said the guard mournfully. "Your mother's death, and now your father's, with no siblings to share your pain with…" The guard lowered his head before leaving, closing the door and leaving Kisaki alone in the darkness, the only light now coming in through her window from the crescent moon above. Here in the solitude of her chambers she stopped weeping, whereupon her sorrowful expression turned to one of mischievous joy. A smile cracked upon her lips, her eyebrows furrowing in pleasurable deceit._

_"It's mine now…" she said softly to herself. "No longer will that old man send our family into the dregs of Sereitei's history…no longer will our strength flounder and diminish…"_

_"Why?" whimpered a faint, female voice on the air into Kisaki's ear, stunning her for a moment. "Why did you kill your father? How could you do this?!" Kisaki's stunned look quickly changed into one of annoyance._

_"I had no choice," she said plainly. "Father wanted to eliminate the Shihoin royal line. Had I not killed him, my family would become no better than any group in Rukongai."_

_"But that's not true!" said the voice, now a little louder. "Your father only wanted to end the sense of tyranny that those beneath him felt! He didn't want to…"_

_"Why are you objecting?" asked Kisaki. "You're my zanpakuto. It isn't your job to judge me on my personal matters. You are only there to kill who I want to kill."_

_"But Kisaki…" whimpered the zanpakuto, now beginning to materialize upon Kisaki's bed. "I don't want to murder…" Blue wisps swirled in the air above Kisaki's sheets until a strange, elongated form appeared, only a few feet in length, looking oddly like a wide-bodied viper with flippers as legs._

_"Your wants do not matter," said Kisaki bluntly. "You belong to me, and you will do as I say. Now, we aren't finished yet; there are still two members of the family who stand in line to gain control of the family, and they both adhere to my father's idiotic vision."_

_"But I…I can't…" stammered the zanpakuto, turning its long head downwards. "Don't make me…"_

_"You will, or else I will destroy you," interrupted Kisaki coldly. "I have achieved bankai with you, but in so doing I learned your one great, glaring weakness. You cannot stand against me, nor should you; you are mine, my property, my weapon, and my slave." The snake-like zanpakuto gasped softly and stood silent for a moment before taking a deep breath._

_"Yes, Kisaki-hime…" Without another word the zanpakuto disappeared, leaving Kisaki again alone, whereupon she grasped the handle of her katana tightly with a viral scowl in her eyes._

_"You will obey me," Kisaki growled, after which she placed her zanpakuto back into its sheath and laid down upon her bed._

_But for the zanpakuto this could not be; deep inside her mind she struggled. Should she disobey her mistress? Should she consign herself to death and disappearance? Or should she submit to her mistress' will, murdering and cutting down any of whom she disapproved? All that night the zanpakuto wept in silence, knowing that her mistress, the lovely and honorable Kisaki Shihoin, the one she loved, the one she worshipped above all others…was a cold-blooded killer._

_The days of exciting missions to protect and preserve would be in vain now, all attempts at rescuing those entrapped in the jaws of darkness would be moot. Once a murderer, always a murderer, and these thoughts alone finalized the zanpakuto's resolve. She did not want what Kisaki would force upon her, but even with this knowledge and conviction, one thing remained unsolved – Kisaki was right about her. The zanpakuto could not stand up to her, not with her weakness being known and so easily taken by advantage, said weakness being so shameful that the zanpakuto refused to even think about it._

_Had Kisaki not learned of this weakness things might have been different. The zanpakuto wouldn't have felt such overwhelming fear, such disdain for future thought, such terror at the prospect of solitude and death. Nevertheless, she could not allow herself to murder any longer. During those long hours before dawn, the zanpakuto dried her silent tears and made a covenant between herself and whatever higher power there might be: she would not cut another soul by Kisaki's hand. And as soon as dawn arrived, the zanpakuto's resolve was put to the ultimate test._

_Kisaki dressed and left the room quickly, taking her zanpakuto with her while concealing it cleverly beneath a fold of her kimono. Without a word she ventured across the mansion, carefully avoiding the gaze of the guards as they stood watch, their nerves heightened with the death of their leader. Even in the cases where she could not avoid, however, the guards seemed to treat her kindly; none of them suspected wrongdoing in young Kisaki's heart, but rather sorrowed over the thought of such barbaric acts wrought upon her by Lord Gensei. As such Kisaki made her way to her aunt and uncle's bedroom, wherein the two retainers and now-inheritors to the head positions of the royal family slept, still unaware of the death of their brother Gensei._

_A shadow appeared through the paper walls of the bedroom, and silently the door slid open. There Kisaki stood, her face again enveloped with apathy towards the heinous act about to befall by her hands, her heart blackened and cold, any royal warmth and kindness long since gambled away in her ravenous search for power and prestige. Before her in their bed slept her aunt and uncle, peacefully drowsing oblivious to the faint sound of steel sliding on wood as Kisaki drew her zanpakuto. With several footsteps without a sound, and several stifled difficult breaths, Kisaki now stood next to her uncle while he lay. Her attack was to be swift; in one stroke she aimed to slash their necks together, or at least it seemed to be this way according to the zanpakuto's point of view._

_Whether Kisaki had a plan of escape and an alibi or not, the zanpakuto didn't know. Instead the zanpakuto's resolve became firm as a stone, a sense of heroism running through her own spirit as she prepared for her end. Kisaki swung down with her wakizashi, the fatal strike on its way, and the zanpakuto fulfilled her promise. Instead of cutting through the necks of the man and the woman, the sword merely struck against them, drawing no blood and causing no injury despite the strength of the slash that Kisaki, a captain-level shinigami by power alone, had given to it._

_With a start Kisaki's aunt and uncle awoke, the former letting out a scream as she realized Kisaki had made an attempt of assassination upon her and her husband. Outside in the hall a commotion began as the guards neared the room and Kisaki, her cover blown and her life now forfeit, jumped out of the glass window. The second her feet hit the ground outside she began to run and shunpo until she had reached the trees. There she waited, her breath heavy while sweat poured down her face, until the guards had dispersed from her immediate location, upon which she again turned and fled into the woods. Behind her the alarms were sounding, but soon the trees absconded all sound from Sereitei. When Kisaki had fled several dozen miles she finally stopped in a remote clearing deep in the forest, and here she threw her zanpakuto upon the ground in rage._

_"How could you…" she growled. "HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME!" Immediately the sword began to glow, and once again the blue snake-like shape appeared in place of the wakizashi._

_"I couldn't murder them…never again can I…" started the creature, but Kisaki's enraged voice overcame the zanpakuto's timid voice._

_"You wretch!" she cursed, swinging her arms maniacally. "You miserable wretch! How could you betray your mistress?! How could you consign me to exile and death?!"_

_"I…" stuttered the creature. "I don't want to do those things, Kisaki-hime. I can't do them…" The zanpakuto stopped speaking immediately, now noticing Kisaki weaving peculiar shapes and signs with her fingers. Kisaki's eyes were now overflowing with hatred, and her lips furled as though her anger was burning her from the inside out._

_"You will never again betray me…" growled Kisaki in a low, terrifying voice. "Nor will you have the chance. No longer can you call yourself the zanpakuto of the royal family of Shihoin, no longer can you claim greatness by my name, and no longer will you know your own. May this cursed seal never break from your soul, and may you never again find peace. Kotowarikata: Nanashi." (Way of Departing: Nameless)_

_A wave of energy flew out from Kisaki's hands, striking the zanpakuto's snake-like shape and knocking it back, whereupon its shape yet again changed, though this time it turned into a blonde woman dressed in fine a fine Celtic gown. The woman gasped as she landed hard upon the ground, dust rising into the air and dirtying her fine dress, and she looked up at Kisaki with tears in her large, blue-green eyes._

_"Kisaki-hime…" she whimpered, whereupon she began to weep into her arms. Kisaki, on the other hand, turned around and vanished, never to be seen again by the zanpakuto in the twelve hundred years of solitude that followed._

--

"It's not only that I don't remember my name, though…" continued the zanpakuto woman. "It's that it has been erased from my knowledge by my former mistress. It was my punishment for betraying her…" Tears began to course down the woman's face, but before she could wipe her eyes she felt arms reaching around her as Alicia embraced her with tears in her own eyes.

"I'm so sorry…" said Alicia in a whisper as she held the zanpakuto woman, who stood stunned at what was happening. "I can't imagine the pain you've felt, the solitude, the sorrow, but you did the right thing. Even though it has hurt so much, what you did was the right thing to do, and your will be rewarded for your goodness somehow…"

The zanpakuto woman remained stunned for a moment, her eyes still brimming with tears, but her heart now feeling something strange within it, something she hadn't felt in centuries. It calmed her, relaxed her, and even made her smile a little. Alicia had given the zanpakuto what she had never again thought she would ever have – peace. She then placed her arms around Alicia and hugged her back, and lost her will to hold back her emotions, burying her fair face into Alicia's shoulder (the one not stained with blood) and crying out vocally in tears of joy.

"What is this you've done to me?" wept the zanpakuto. "What is this power…to mend a broken heart? I can't let someone like you slip away from me…but how can I possibly repay you?" Alicia released the zanpakuto and looked into her eyes.

"You will let me give you a new name," she said with a smile. The zanpakuto looked back at her in disbelief, shaking her head with her mouth gaping open as though such a statement was highly illegal.

"But…" started the zanpakuto. "A zanpakuto's name is an important part of who we are…you can't just give names out like that…"

"Who said I would just give you some random name?" asked Alicia pleasantly. "You are wearing Celtic clothing, and you even look like you are Irish, just like me. I don't think it is coincidence that we were brought together, and with that in mind I think I have the perfect name for you."

"What is it?" asked the zanpakuto, now feeling intrigued about this new moniker. Would it be some glorious Japanese name, perhaps of a princess or queen of a grand dynasty, or perhaps some regal bird or delicate gazelle?

"Elizabeth…" said Alicia warmly. "Your name is now Elizabeth, and I am most honored to have your companionship." The zanpakuto stared blankly at Alicia for quite some time, long enough to cause slight discomfort in Alicia's stomach.

"E…Eliza…beth?" said the woman slowly with considerable difficulty. "I've never heard a name like that before…"

"It's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman," said Alicia. "I think you will like it when you get used to it." Elizabeth smiled and nodded, upon which she began to glow, growing brighter and brighter until Alicia had to shield her eyes. After a moment, however, the light dissipated, and Alicia opened her eyes again only to find Elizabeth gone, in her place a small sheathed wakizashi with blue wrappings upon the handle and Celtic weaving upon the scabbard.

"I never asked you your name," asked Elizabeth's voice on the air.

"It is Alicia," replied the substitute shinigami. "Alicia Anders."

"Alicia, I will be your strength and your sword from now on," continued Elizabeth. "Our two souls are now bound by a sacred bond, one that few ever enjoy. I pledge to be your companion and help from this life into the next, and I must ask you to be the same for me. We are now as one, Elizabeth and Alicia." With those words Elizabeth became silent, and Alicia picked up the wakizashi.

"Thank you, Elizabeth…" she said, another tear coming to her eye, but only for a moment as a sound at her waist took her by surprise – a yawning sound, to be specific.

"Oooyyyaa…" yawned Kon, stretching his arms while still tied to Alicia's waist. "Huh? Where are we?" Alicia looked down at the stuffed lion and smiled warmly.

"You slept though all that?" she asked playfully. "You really did have a rough night! Anyway, we need to head back now."

"Did you find that zanpakuto that wild-man was talking about?" asked Kon with a nasal tone.

"Yeah," said Alicia softly, her heart finally feeling peace. _I will stop him, Mark. I promise._

--

Ichigo jumped into the dark hole made by Cerillius, zanpakuto of the Holy Lucian, and mentally prepared himself for the long run ahead. He couldn't see the others before him, but that did not sway him; he would use shunpo as long as he could, until…

The moment he stepped into the "cave", Ichigo found himself suspended several feet above the ground, whereupon he immediately fell with a crash. Behind him the others followed, although landing gracefully upon the dusty, gray ground with an empty black space above in place of sky.

"What the hell was that all about?!" grumbled Ichigo as he got to his feet. Ahead of him, Lucian stood calmly, his handsome features unblemished by the blandness of the moon-like rocky terrain that surrounded them.

"Cerillius is a dimensional manipulator," he said calmly. "Instead of digging a tunnel out of that prison, she created a wormhole, isolated entirely within this dimension, but acting as a Laplacian field consisting of both real and imaginary coordinates. In other words, by bypassing normal, physical space, we have made a fifty mile journey in a single, effortless step – though at considerable cost to Cerillius."

"La..plac…what?" asked Ichigo. "I have no idea what you just said…" Lucian smirked and walked past Ichigo towards Cerillius, the last one to appear from the portal which now had vanished. Ishida, Chad, and Inoue were all there, looking around in amazement, as was Declan, the other Holy. Behind, Lucian knelt down and lifted up Cerillius, who was clearly having difficulty standing up, her chest heaving in deep, labored breaths.

"Don't worry, Cerillius," said Lucian softly, almost romantically. "We'll go by foot from now on; I've pushed you too far as it is."

"I'll be fine in a little while…" replied the crimson-haired Cerillius now standing up under Lucian's support. "Let me just rest within your soul for a bit…" Cerillius then turned once again into a small ball of light, and passed into Lucian's chest. Ichigo watched this exchange in disbelief; this was the closest he'd ever seen someone behave with their zanpakuto, almost as though it were love.

"Now that we're all here, it is imperative that we get moving quickly," stated Lucian, capturing their attention. "Now that we are out of the prison, my theory has been proven correct. This is a dimension created by Jigenseisokuka, Ryojin's zanpakuto. He is also a dimensional manipulator, though far more advanced and powerful than Cerillius. But that being said, I know how to escape from this dimension."

"Wait…" said Ichigo. "That Viajante guy made this place?"

"That is correct," said Lucian bluntly.

"And this is some sort of 'other dimension', like the Twilight Zone?" continued Ichigo.

"I don't know what that is, but yes," replied Lucian. "And we're not alone here. It was this realization that led me to the truth of where we are."

"What are you talking…about…" Ichigo's third question trailed off as Lucian pointed skyward in the blackness behind them, and the five others turned to see what he was indicating.

"This is most intriguing…" mused Declan, stroking his short goatee.

"What is this?!" gasped Ishida, his glasses slipping down his nose as he trembled in disbelief.

"No way…" muttered Chad, his eyes wide in shock. Inoue gasped as well, covering her mouth with her hands.

"You've got to be kidding me…" said Ichigo, sweat rolling down his temples. "You've got to be freaking kidding me." Beyond them, dominating the skies, stood two gargantuan orbs, resting motionlessly as though painted onto some galactic canvas. Chad reached out his arm in an attempt to touch them, only to realize his and everyone else's fears were true.

"Earth, the Mortal world, and Jizengensei, the Premortal world," said Lucian plainly.

**Next chapter: THE PLANE OF SORROW – RYOJIN'S UNIVERSE**


	14. Chapter 13: The Plane of Sorrow

**CHAPTER 13: THE PLANE OF SORROW – RYOJIN'S UNIVERSE**

A foul chill entered the cave of darkness on the gray, lifeless mountainside as a figure covered completely in a cloak stepped in, its pace steady and unwavering and its face completely dark and shadowed except for two glowing, red eyes. All around the deathly air seemed to be breathing in deep, deliberate heaves as though the appearance of this stranger either frightened or excited the cave itself. This stranger continued its stride deeper and deeper into the cavern until finally a haze of light began to lighten the barren walls. With a few more steps the cloaked figure found itself inside a large room, garishly decorated and furnished with fine antiques and royal tapestries. Indeed, this was in complete opposition to the nature of the world around the cave, though at the edges of the room additional shadowed crevasses served to remind one that even this chamber was within a dark and dreary universe.

"What are you doing here?" asked a shallow, breathy voice from one of these shadowed niches. "Don't tell me that Master Viajante gave up on his quest."

"Seven keyholders have escaped their cells and are traversing the Plane of Sorrow," replied the cloaked figure in a deep, malevolent, frighteningly raspy voice. "It seems that Lord Lucian's zanpakuto was a dimensional manipulator after all."

"I told you that she was years ago," retorted the shallow voice. "So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Eliminate them," said the cloaked figure.

"Easy for you to say," grumbled the shallow voice. "If Lord Lucian is among the seven, then Declan likely is as well. Asking me to deal with two Holies is almost too much in and of itself, but those two…"

"Don't go alone," continued the cloaked figure. "Take everyone and crush them; we cannot allow them to escape my dimension."

"So you think they can actually get out of this place, huh? I thought your universe was impermeable…"

"There is a chance," said the cloaked figure after a moment. "The other five with Declan and Lucian are in possession of great power as well and two of them are Captain-class shinigami from Soul Society of the Afterlife."

"Hoo boy…" said the shallow voice with a chuckle. "Who would have thought that two keyholders of the Mortal realm would be shinigami…very well, I'll take everyone."

"Good." With that the cloaked figure turned and began to walk out of the chamber, but did not get far before the shallow voice called out again.

"Does Master Viajante know about this?"

"No," replied the cloaked figure. "And it is going to stay that way. Eliminate them immediately. Do not let me down, Callous." The cloaked figure then left the chamber, leaving it empty and silent.

"Very well, Jigenseisokuka…" said the voice belonging to Callous. "I'm sure you all heard?"

"Yes, Lord Callous," replied several other voices from the shadows, all of them having been silent up to this point.

"But Esquevedo has already gone out to kill them," said one of these voices, a high-pitched, chilling male voice.

"That idiot…" grumbled Callous. "We can consider him as good as dead then. Let's get moving before they pulverize his body completely."

"But Lord Callous…" said yet another voice, this a female voice, though no less intimidating than the previous. "Lucian and Declan are with them. We can't possibly…"

"Despite what you may think of those two, they are not immortal," interrupted Callous. "This realm obeys similar laws to those found in the Mortal realm; as such, they can both be killed. Let us go." Without another word a flurry of shadows sped out from the crevasses and out the cave, the sound of distant thunder accompanying their movement.

--

Ichigo, Ishida, Inoue, and Chad could do nothing but stare mindlessly into the black atmosphere towards Earth and Jizengensei, radiating by some unseen star or other light source; while massive, the relative size of the planets in relation to the horizon indicated that a great distance of tens of thousands of miles separated them from the group. Declan and Lucian, however, stood quite calm and collected, as though the sight meant nothing shocking or unprecedented to them, and in Declan's case it even seemed to amuse him.

"Earth?" gasped Ichigo. "I thought the world was destroyed…?"

"As did I," replied Lucian. "But knowing that in fact it was not destroyed has changed everything."

"What do you mean by 'changed everything'…?" started Inoue, but a faint moan distracted and interrupted her.

"Wh…where am I?" asked a faint voice, and they all turned to see Mark, lying on the ground in a disheveled state (Ichigo had inadvertently dropped him after coming out from Cerillius' wormhole) but nevertheless now conscious, rubbing his eyes. "Am I dead…? Is this heaven?"

"Far from it," said Declan with a cheery voice. "But you're still alive, so no worries, right?" Mark rubbed his eyes for several seconds more, trying to piece together his mind from his catatonic state.

"Where's Alicia?" he asked blindly. "Where's Shakuho…and Ryojin…OH NO! ALICIA!!!" Mark shot up to his feet in a panic, his face stricken with fear as he looked around so wildly that he lost his footing and once again fell upon the ground.

"Easy, easy," said Ichigo, bending down and helping Mark up. "Just calm down and we'll explain everything." Mark nodded after a moment, but immediately thereafter his eyes turned towards the planets. Like the others before, his jaw dropped, and his heart began beating so hard that it hurt.

"What is this place?!" he gasped.

"We are in the Plane of Sorrow," replied Lucian, and Mark turned and looked at him. "This is a construct of Ryojin's brilliance, and we are being held prisoner in it."

"How do you…" stammered Mark. "How do you know about Ryojin? Who are you people?"

"We'll explain that along the way," replied Declan. "For now, let's follow Lord Lucian's lead." Lucian and Declan immediately began running, whereupon Ichigo and the others followed suit leaving Mark alone on the pale, dead moonscape.

"Why am I alive?" asked Mark quietly to himself, and he set chase after the others.

After some catching up, Mark reached the rest of the party as they ran across the lifeless hills. Lucian and Declan reiterated to him the same information they had the others, specifically the four realms of existence, Holies and their purpose, and the concept of "spirit keys". After learning everyone's name, Mark finally started to feel his senses coming back to him, and for the first time since awaking he started to feel himself again.

"So the Earth up there…" started Mark, looking up as they ran. "Is everyone still alive?"

"Logically the answer would be yes," replied Lucian. "However, it is very likely that the entire planet is under a comatose state."

"But why?" asked Ichigo. "Why go to the trouble? Why not just let the world get destroyed?" Ichigo expected a response from Lucian, but none came; instead the Holy continued his flight, as though having ignored the question completely.

"Why isn't he answering?" asked Ishida quietly to Inoue, upon which Declan turned towards them and smiled.

"Lucian cannot lie," he said pleasantly. "If he doesn't reply, it either means he doesn't have an answer or he is still trying to figure it out himself. Please, don't be discouraged."

"How can someone not…" started Ishida, but as soon as he did he felt a wave of reiatsu overcome the group. "Stop!" Everyone in the party stopped immediately, except of course for Ichigo whose spirit-sensing abilities were still underdeveloped.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ichigo, speeding past them and turning back, but even he didn't get far before he too sensed the immense spiritual pressure. "Whoa…"

"This reiatsu…it isn't normal," observed Ishida. "It's unlike anything I've ever felt before…"

"That is because you haven't felt this before," replied Declan. "It is the spiritual power that Holies emit, and Lucian and I have gone to great lengths to mask ours."

"So this belongs to you?" asked Mark, prompting a concerned look from Declan.

"No," he said bluntly, all the while Lucian glared ahead of them unblinking.

"Declan…" said Lucian softly. "Do you recognize this power?" Declan closed his eyes and lifted his face up into the blackness, breathing in deeply through his nose.

"Yes," he replied. "It looks like it's only him."

"All this power from one person?!" gasped Ichigo, his body trembling under the weight of the spiritual pressure. "That's impossible! Not even Kenpachi has reiatsu like this!"

"This is…unbelievable…" gasped Inoue, the pressure feeling so intense that she felt it would crush her to the ground. Chad was silent, focusing all his strength just to remain standing and lucid. Without a word his arms began to change shape and color, the right turning into the Giant's Arm or Brazo de Gigante, the right into the Devil's Arm or Brazo del Diablo*.

"The five of you should stand back…" said Lucian, his voice focused and sharp, so much so that the others, even Ichigo, did not hesitate to heed them.

"It's him," said Declan, his face still pointed towards the sky. "I'm sure of it – Esquevedo."

"If you are right, then we are in a serious predicament," replied Lucian, his sparkling blonde hair seemingly dulled by the incredible spiritual force bearing down upon them. "If all nine Fallen Ones are here…"

"Don't worry," said Declan, now looking ahead in the same direction as Lucian. "Esquevedo's the weakest one of all. He joined them searching for power, and that's probably why he came here alone."

"He is the weakest, assuming his zanpakuto hasn't left his spiritual core yet," observed Lucian. "He's coming…be on guard, Declan."

"I already am," retorted the younger Holy, who then turned back to the others. "You five should get back a little farther than that." It was then that the raging reiatsu was joined by a male voice, deep and rattling, filled with such force that even the rocks and dust upon the ground could not keep still as it spoke.

"You should have told those rats from the Mortal world to hide their reiatsu better," said the booming voice. "That would have given them at least a few more minutes of life." With the speed of lightning a figure burst onto the gray ground ahead of Lucian and Declan, cratering it and sending a plume of rock and dust into the air. Accompanying this impact was also a crackling roar of thunder, so loud and intense that one would have thought lightning had struck only a few feet away. As the dust settled, the figure became mostly distinguishable, until at last the man stood in full view of the party.

"Esquevedo Veracruz…" said Lucian in a low voice. "So this is where you ended up."

**Next chapter: THE FALLEN ONES**

**BONUS!** That little asterisk (*) is my little way of saying I really, really don't want to describe how Chad's arms look. If you aren't familiar with Bleach anime or manga, I recommend it ;-)

And yeah, I know this one was shorter. I'm sick and head is all fuzzy and weird. I'm going to bed.


	15. Chapter 14: The Fallen Ones

**CHAPTER 14: THE FALLEN ONES**

Ichigo, Mark, and the others stood speechless, their bodies trembling under the heavy burden of Esquevedo Veracruz, in each an overwhelming sense of dread and horror filling their souls. Beyond the two Holies, Lucian and Declan stood their ground before the newcomer, now visible to all after the dust of his impact had settled upon the gray, lifeless terrain of the Plane of Sorrow.

"What…what is this guy?" gasped Ishida, struggling to raise his hand to adjust his glasses. "This reiatsu…this is unreal!"

"It's like an avalanche…" observed Chad, whose face was drenched in sweat from the intensity of Esquevedo's power. "No matter how much I try to push against it, I feel like I'm being swept away…"

"Impossible…" stuttered Ichigo, his eyes widened in disbelief. He had faced many foes more powerful than himself, but this was the first time he truly felt helpless. Mark, on the other hand, was already on his knees, as was Inoue, unable to move and staring blankly beyond.

"Ah, Lucian!" exclaimed Esquevedo in a deep, round, Jovian voice. This man, this Esquevedo, did not exhibit the appearance or qualities that the five bystanders expected; up until now, every extraplanar entity with a Spanish name had been related to the Hollows. Esquevedo, on the other hand, looked nothing like an Arrancar, Adjuchas, or any other creature from Hueco Mundo. He stood exceedingly tall, several inches over seven feet, with a robust physique of massive muscles and well toned features visible beneath his tight clothing. This raiment was of particular intrigue; while the Espada donned fine white suits and gowns, this man seemed to be wearing the spectral opposite – a full length gown of dark black leather, covering the lengths of his arms, opening near his waist and falling down to his feet, revealing fine cloth trousers and footwear. Like Ryojin, the Viajante, this full-body outfit hugged high against his neck, creating a V at his Adam's apple. A surprisingly handsome, almost perfect man in all respects, his skin was toned dark and tan, his nearly-black hair neatly curled and well set.

"He looks a lot like you, Chad," said Ishida, using that somewhat humorous observation in an attempt to maintain his sanity under pressure. Chad did not reply, however; for him the pressure was too great.

"What, you don't have anything to say to me?" continued Esquevedo to Lucian, who refused to reply beyond his initial remarks. "And Declan, I'm so happy to see that you've grown into such a fine man! When I left Jizengensei you were only a lad, now you are strong and handsome like your father!"

"Thank you," said Declan with the same pleasant grin used with the others. "Now that you've acknowledged us both, we would kindly ask you to depart." Esquevedo looked down at the younger Holy with a mixed air of contempt, humor, and disbelief.

"Surely you are kidding," said Esquevedo in his deep, rich voice. "I've traveled hundreds of miles just to greet you, and all you ask is for me to leave?"

"Yes," replied Declan, his face still set in a pleasant look (imagine this: ^_^).

"That is discouraging…" said Esquevedo slowly. "I was so happy to meet you two…"

"Leave or you will be forced into pasaje," said Lucian in a cold, blunt, forceful voice. "You know well that you can die here, and if you don't leave immediately such will be your fate." Esquevedo glared down his chin at Lucian, staying silent for several moments.

"Very well," he said slowly. "Our happy reunion is over. Lucian, I wish to deal with you first, so please, Declan, stand aside and do not interfere." To Ichigo's surprise, Declan nodded and conceded to Esquevedo's request, and with that he turned and walked to join Mark and the others.

"What are you doing?!" cried out Ichigo, his face drenched with sweat. "That guy will destroy Lucian! He's going to…!" Declan raised a hand and smiled pleasantly again.

"Don't say such things, Ichigo," said Declan calmly, but with such intense force that these words sending shivers down Ichigo's spine. "We of Jizengensei have a strict code of conduct, particularly when it comes to disputes."

"Disputes?" asked Chad.

"Yes," continued Declan. "One may only square off with a single foe, and the battle is over once the other cannot move and must submit to the will of the victor."

"So they aren't trying to kill each other after all?" asked Ichigo, but Declan shook his head.

"In Jizengensei death is non-existent," he continued. "Only through the ritual of pasaje can a soul leave the Premortal and enter the Mortal. However, in this universe we are currently in, the laws of Jizengensei do not apply; hence, death will surely come to one of them. That said, we should be silent as to not distract them." Beyond, Lucian and Esquevedo seemed to be locked in a brutal staring match, a proud grin upon Esquevedo's rugged face.

"Lord Lucian Francis," announced Esquevedo in a proud tone. "While you sat second in command of all the Holies of Jizengensei, you're spiritual fortitude surpassed that of your superior. I am most honored to finally spar with you on equal ground."

"Esquevedo Veracruz…" replied Lucian in a much more subdued voice. "There is nothing equal about us. Cerillius, please join me at my side." As though stepping out of his body, Cerillius appeared next to Lucian, her lovely, long hair swaying at the small of her back. Her face, however, showed no kindness whatsoever anymore as she glared up at Esquevedo.

"I never thought I would see you again," she said coldly. "And it seems like your zanpakuto hasn't even left your spirit core yet. You are sorely outmatched, Esquevedo."

"Santiago indeed is still an infant zanpakuto," conceded Esquevedo. "But that is of little concern to me; my growth in personal power will overcome you both. Now then, let us begin."

"Cerillius," said Lucian in a cold voice. "Make him disappear." Cerillius nodded, and just as she had back in the prison her body morphed and vanished into a floating, glowing orb of bright white light, speck and sparkles falling down to the ground below her.

"King of glory, hear my plea," began the voice of Cerillius, now sounding as though it was being carried upon the wind. "Shackled in chains, brought free upon the fortnight, an endless void of power and fear. Give me thine strength, and vanquish mine foes!" Esquevedo grew a look of false concern upon his face as Cerillius' glow turned deep crimson, and like a bullet a crackling red streak shot out from the center of the orb, streaking through the air like a fracture in the fabric of space until it overcame Esquevedo. As soon as it reached him the fracture seemed to burst open, spilling out vibrant dark energy for a moment before it slammed itself shut, vanishing and leaving them in silence, Esquevedo nowhere to be seen.

"His reiatsu…it's gone!" exclaimed Ishida, but his words were cut short.

"That was very nice," said the voice of Esquevedo, seemingly emanating from all directions around Lucian. "Anyone weaker would surely have been destroyed by that move alone. I mean, in terms of speed I have never seen the like before…except for myself, that is."

"He's masking his reiatsu?" asked Ichigo. "But he's so close…?"

"You haven't felt ours, have you?" countered Declan. "Holies are quite adept at controlling how our spiritual energy leaves our bodies. It is likely he did the full release before to intimidate us."

"How are you doing this?" asked Lucian to the air. "This goes beyond normal movement…"

"I'm glad you noticed!" exclaimed Esquevedo's voice. "You said before that we weren't equal, but I respectfully disagree. I have, in the decades since I was extradited from Jizengensei, improved my Relampago greatly."

"This might be bad…" muttered Declan to himself. Beside him, Mark and Inoue started to come back to their senses thanks to the cessation of Esquevedo's gargantuan reiatsu.

"You see, while I did indeed travel nearly a thousand miles to meet you," continued Esquevedo. "That journey only took me a matter of seconds." A crackle of thunder then erupted on the scene, and Esquevedo appeared so suddenly above Lucian that the latter could not counter it in time.

"Oh no…" gasped Lucian, while above him Esquevedo sped downward, a maniacal mixture of rage and pleasure upon his face. Before anyone could even register what had happened, Esquevedo's fist plunged into the ground, exploding with magnitude not even seen by Ichigo during his most brutal battles in Hueco Mundo.

"Santen Kesshun!"

A wide triangle of glowing orange hue appeared in the air in front of the six bystanders just in time to block the immense shock wave from Esquevedo's impact.

"Inoue…" observed Ichigo, and he turned around to see Inoue Orihime with her hands outstretched, maintaining her unique shield with fervor and intense concentration. Around them, it seemed like a nuclear detonation had occurred with the intensity of the wind, debris, and utter force of the impact. Towering above them thousands upon thousands of feet rose a plume of dust, and after several moments the scene calmed down again, and once the debris had settled it revealed Esquevedo now standing alone on the gray plains.

"Hmph…" grunted Esquevedo as he looked around suspiciously. "I know you evaded that somehow, Lucian. Quit being a coward and fight me!"

"That would be foolish," replied the voice of Lucian, shallow and masked, as though being spoken through several layers of cloth. "Clearly I cannot best you at speed, nor physical strength, so I will do my best to defeat you my own way."

"Blasphemy!" growled Esquevedo. "You are in direct violation to the laws of Jizengensei, Lord Lucian! You choose the path of weakness and hide in your shadows instead of facing me head on! I deride you, you…" A crushing blow came to Esquevedo's back, sending him flying forward until he crashed hard upon the ground.

"We aren't in Jizengensei, are we?" asked Lucian, now standing where Esquevedo so recently stood. Behind him a red haze began to fade away, and as it did the glowing Orb of Cerillius slowly faded in. "And for traitors like you, I'm sure that they will find a way to forgive me for saving you."

"You? Save me?" laughed Esquevedo as he quickly got up. "And what exactly would you be saving me from, hmm?"

"From yourself," said Lucian calmly, and once again crackling, iridescent red streams shot out from Cerillius, shooting all around Esquevedo hemispherically until he was trapped within a cage of her dimensional rips a dozen yards in radius. "You have set yourself down a path of never-ending torment, in which you will never taste the joys and sorrows of mortality. Without my intervention, you will never be able to progress beyond this form, and you will never reach the Eternal Realm." Esquevedo sneered through the crackling cage at Lucian, his upper lip quivering while internally his rage extrapolated and intensified.

"You self-righteous bastard…" he growled. "That's been your problem since the beginning – you think you're the answer to all of our ills as Holies…but you're wrong. Master Ryojin has opened up a pathway to salvation for those of us who were cast out for our beliefs. He has breached the unjust laws of God, and now only days remain between now and our triumphant entry into the Eternal Realm!"

"And what do you think will happen when you get there?" asked Lucian. "The ten of you waltz into God's Realm, and you expect him to hand it over? And do you think it's only God there? Those who progress to that realm become gods and goddesses themselves! You know this…and yet you think you have the power to defeat them…"

"Our fate will come to us regardless," said Esquevedo proudly, prompting a fairly negative reaction from Lucian. "What matters is the principle for our invasion. We are breaking free from the bonds of the unjust God to show everyone in the universe that there is a better way, and that Master Ryojin, the Viajante, has found it! Whether we die or not does not matter in the slightest." Beyond him Lucian's face erupted in anger, but with tears streaming out of his eyes and down his face.

"THEY'LL DESTROY YOU!" he screamed, the cage around Esquevedo now rapidly shrinking, the red ribbons of dimensional flux nearing Esquevedo's body and closing the gaps by which he could have made any escape. "They'll obliterate your souls for this rebellion! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

"It was the risk we all took…" said Esquevedo softly, his eyes now closed and his hands outstretched as though grasping some imaginary object. "But I will not allow you to take that choice away from me. Not you, Lucian Francis, nor even God himself can reject my agency, my free will." It was with these words that a new spiritual sensation overcame the area, far different from the first. Instead of being an overwhelming pressure to the point of physical pain, this feeling was that of utmost sorrow, so much so that Ichigo, Ishida, Chad, Inoue, and Mark all felt as though tears were being forced out of their eyes. Declan, however, showed no such tears, instead his face full of fear and horror.

"Esquevedo! No!" he cried out, but no sooner had he done so than a wave of energy burst from the shrinking dimensional cage, blasting away dust and rock and filling the entire plain with a thunderous boom, rattling every bone to the core.

Lucian stood still during this wave of energy, allowing it to overcome and pass by him until all became calm once again, his clothes still spotless white despite the influx of debris. Suddenly an awful din exploded from the cage, sounding almost like a high-pitched shrill scream of complete emotional terror. A bright vertical streak appeared on the outside of the dimensional cage, now almost flush with no openings and appearing much like an upside-down bowl, and another horrific shriek beyond the ability of any human to emanate sounded. The vertical line then extended as a fracture across the entire surface of the dimensional cage, and like glass it shattered, the pieces wisping away into nothing to reveal Esquevedo still standing strong, however now with a long, silver broadsword in his hands. The sword was rather plain in appearance aside from an exquisitely beautiful hand guard that curved slightly outward, blue crystal fitted into the steel, giving the overall appearance of an overtly slender jeweled cross.

"Santiago! SANTIAGO! NO!!!" screamed Cerillius, the orb vanishing and her female human form reappearing. Without another word she sprinted away from Lucian and towards Esquevedo, her arms flailing from her overwhelming emotional distress. Tears flowed from her eyes in such volume that the dripping tears flew horizontally behind her as she ran as well as staining the shoulders and chest of her violet kimono.

"Cerillius! Stop!" cried Lucian, but it was too late. As though it had been as illusion, Esquevedo disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Cerillius, startling her so badly that she could not react as Esquevedo slashed his sword diagonally upward across her chest. Blood sprayed into the air, and Cerillius fell back, a look of pure sadness within her teary eyes, and without another movement she landed crumpled upon the ground before Esquevedo's feet. Lucian could not utter even the slightest sound as he watched helplessly his beloved zanpakuto fall to the ground, her beautiful kimono now stained with dark patches of spilled blood.

"This is to be your end as a Holy, Lucian Francis…" said Esquevedo in a somber tone. "While your spirit will be forced into pasaje, it will be trapped eternally within Jigenseisokuka's dimension. And if we should fail, then perhaps you will find your way out eventually, but I can guarantee you that we will not fail. God will be smitten by our power, and he will rue the day he ever allowed our progression to be taken from us!" Esquevedo again vanished, only to appear now before Lucian whereupon he slashed at his foe's chest in a likewise manner. Lucian leapt back in time to avoid it, but Esquevedo's blade had cut his cheek despite his attempt. Again and again this pattern repeated; Esquevedo kept pushing Lucian further and further back, Lucian's body becoming increasingly damaged by his enemy's unfathomable speed. Esquevedo's horrific laughter echoed across the plains, and the others were beginning to feel dread coming upon them.

"What is happening?!" gasped Ichigo as he watched Lucian slowly succumbing to Esquevedo's strength.

"Esquevedo has forced his zanpakuto out his spirit core and into a weapon form," said Declan, his voice dejected and cold. "Santiago, his zanpakuto, has been subjected to his master's unrighteous will, and as such has been made to take on a form usually only seen in the Afterlife. As such Esquevedo's power has nearly quadrupled…but Santiago will likely die and vanish after the battle is over."

"What?!" asked Inoue, her voice filled with shock. "That's terrible!"

"It is terrible…" replied Declan, and with that he began to walk away from the group and towards the two battling Holies. "I must end this now." Whether by chance or by his supersensory state, Esquevedo seemed to hear these words and he turned to face Declan with terror in his eyes, only to see the younger holy with his right hand extended, a single finger pointing in his direction.

"No…" whispered Esquevedo. Below, the embattled Lucian vanished, appearing half a second later next to Declan, who took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak.

"Ninety-one: Pearl Wind."

"NO!" cried out Esquevedo, but his words were futile. All around him the land seemed to explode in with radiant energy expanding outward until taking the shape of a gargantuan pearl of pure white. Again Inoue released Santen Kesshun, but the magnitude of Declan's technique was so great that it slowly began to crack the barrier, until to her shock and surprise it shattered, throwing herself, Ichigo, Chad, Ishida, and Mark back from the resounding and repeating waves of brutal force from the Pearl Wind. After only a moment, however, the great pearl vanished and Esquevedo, now several hundred feet up in the air, plummeted to the ground where he crashed hard onto his back.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Declan to the others, who were now collecting themselves and dusting off the debris from the event.

"I think so…" said Mark, but his attention was distracted as Inoue tore off madly towards Cerillius who was still lying motionlessly upon the ground. Lucian, on the other hand, walked slowly towards Esquevedo's broken and beaten body as it lay upon the cracked and ruined ground of the Plane of Sorrow. There he found his former foe in his final moments, yet the proud smile still stretched across his face as his eyes noticed Lucian now above him.

"Heh…" gurgled Esquevedo, his body now easily seen to be covered in blood. "So Declan and you are both blasphemers, eh?"

"This is for your own good, Esquevedo Veracruz…" replied Lucian softly, his eyes turned down as to not look upon Esquevedo's ruinous state.

"My own good?" asked Esquevedo. "What would you know of that, you traitor? Does Declan even know…that you…were once…" Before Esquevedo could finish, however, his voice trailed off and became silent, and his body became stiff and still as death overcame him. It was as he passed that the broadsword beside began to change shape drastically, until after a moment a tattered and pale young man appeared laying upon the ground in the fetal position, his long hair gray and matted.

"Santiago…" said Lucian, now moving towards and kneeling next to the young man in dark, torn clothes. The boy looked up at him, his emaciated face quivering with tears streaming from his eyes.

"Lord Lucian…" he whispered. "Thank you for stopping him…I tried to talk him out of it, but…Cerillius…"

"Don't say anymore," counseled Lucian, reaching beneath his cape and behind his back. "You don't have to worry anymore. Esquevedo has been forced into pasaje, and when we break down Jigenseisokuka's dimension he will find his way back to the Mortal Realm, where you can find him and start your lives together anew." Lucian then pulled back his hand, revealing a crimson crystal heart attached to a silver metal chain.

"Take this in your hand, close your eyes, and relax as peace encompasses your soul," said Lucian, and Santiago did as commanded. After a few seconds, Santiago's quivering face stilled, and a smile appeared upon his lips as he vanished into the air.

"That was a beautiful pasaje…" said Declan, now standing behind Lucian. "Do you think they'll be all right?"

"Esquevedo will have a chance to redeem himself now," replied Lucian. "Coming here was the only way he could escape the eternal damnation forced upon him by the Elders, and I'm sure that he and Santiago will make a fine pair when he becomes a shinigami."

"Good," said Declan, pausing for a moment to look back at Esquevedo's lifeless body. "The woman Inoue has interesting power; she seems to have brought Cerillius back to life."

"What?!" gasped Lucian, and without another word he turned and ran towards his previously fallen zanpakuto. When he arrived, he found her still beneath Inoue's orange barrier, but now the horrible wound across her chest and heart were gone.

"I'm so sorry…Luci-Luci…" she muttered, her voice still weak. "I heard Santiago screaming, and when I saw what he had done to him, I couldn't stop myself. I'm so sorry…" Above Lucian's emotions could not be held in check any longer, and he lost himself in tears and weeping, falling to his knees beside Inoue's barrier.

--

Eight shadows coursed across the seemingly endless plains of lifeless rock, the dunes and small hills passing by at a fantastic speed. It was as they thus coursed that a great light lit up the plains beyond them almost like a rising sun, and within moments it vanished. For a moment the eight hesitated, but immediately they continued their flight

"Esquevedo is dead," said one of the shadows in a light, airy male voice. "That was Declan's 'Pearl Wind'…"

"There is no way that weakling could have survived that," added another, this with a smooth, feminine alto. "I'm not sure any of us could have either…"

"Master Ryojin has made us stronger, Lillith," said yet another voice, this shallow and high and belonging to the being known as Callous. "Lucian and Declan's powers are no match for what we have gained. Do not hesitate in your pursuit of the enemy, and do not fear. We are justified in our quest – never forget that." Not another word was shared among them, and the eight continued their flight as though nothing had happened at all.

**Next chapter: REBELLION IN JIZENGENSEI**

**BONUS!** The next few chapters are to be a history lesson of what happened long ago in Jizengensei to get this whole thing going. Lots of neat stuff, awesome back story, and of course it is all very important – which is why I'm doing it


	16. Chapter 15: Rebellion in Jizengensei

**CHAPTER 15: REBELLION IN JIZENGENSEI**

Several hours passed after the battle with Esquevedo, and finally both Lucian and Cerillius were healed and back to their former strength. Many questions remained, however, particularly from Ichigo and Mark, and Lucian felt within his heart that he could no longer withhold the truth from them.

"Who was that man?" asked Ichigo shortly after the group resumed their trek across the dry wasteland of the Plane of Sorrow. "He spoke like he knew you really well."

"You also held back on him," added Mark. "You didn't attack him to kill. If Declan could do what he did with one technique…then what were you doing?" Lucian was silent for several moments, looking onward as he had before, but after this short time he drew a deep breath and sighed.

"Esquevedo was once a member of my Holy Commission…" he said slowly, his voice filled with sorrow and regret. "He was a contemporary of mine, and a very dear friend. I couldn't do it – I couldn't get myself to kill him."

"So why did he do this?" asked Inoue. "Why would your friend turn on you?"

"I imagine that telling you would greatly increase your understanding for the complete situation," replied Lucian after a moment. "Even for Declan, who was but a small child when the rebellion occurred. Listen then, if you will, to my tale of woe, but please do not judge me too harshly for what I am about to reveal…"

(break)

_Footsteps echoed across and down the grand, white column-lined hallways, sounding as though an army was passing through them. A single pair of feet pounded upon the silver tile work while racing down these halls, a long, white, satin cape flapping in the air above and behind them. Lucian Francis, handsome even at his younger age of sixteen, ran panicked beneath his long, curly blonde hair, his usual stony and stoic appearance now flustered and distressed, not to mention vibrant and youthful._

_"They're going to kill me," he muttered to himself as he ran through the hallowed halls of Communion One, the highest and most sacred of the structures of Jizengensei and home to the Thirteen Holy Commissions. "I'm so late…they'll throw me off the Commissions for sure. I left first, though, so Commodore Valhalla will be there after me. Maybe he can get me off the hook…" These Commissions, each headed by a Commodore, served by technicality as the protective organization to Jizengensei, but as a significant, dangerous threat had not faced the Premortal Realm for thousands of years, they had become almost purely a ceremonial faction, as well as the head trainers for shinigami potentials called Saints. Lucian, however, had not been thus engaged in this educational training, instead having spent several days with his mentor and teacher, working on a project that he hoped would vault him from a generic "Holy" to "Commodore" status like his teacher._

_Lucian rounded a corner, sliding along the tile as he turned, only to realize he had reached his destination. Sweat began to bead up on his face and his eyes and lips trembled as he saw a great number of faces peering from within the doorway before him, a hushed whisper going out from among them as Lucian had skidded to a climactic entrance at the head of the Chamber of Communion, the meeting hall for the Thirteen Holy Commissions._

_"Lucian Francis!" boomed out a voice from the back of the hall. "You are late for this mandatory meeting!"_

_"I-I can explain…" he stammered, running quietly into the room. The Chamber of Communion was a large, ornate circular room with three tiers around the intricately carved and detailed circumference; thereupon sat the Thirteen Commissions, each according to their group, starting in the back of the room near the door with Thirteen and Twelve, then moving further into the room with the even-numbered commissions on the left, the odd-numbered on the right, and the First Commission at the head of the hall directly opposite the doorway. In each section were seated the ten Holies associated with each commission – a Commodore and an Officer on the first tier, and four subordinate Holies on each of the two upper tiers._

_"This is the second meeting to which you have been late," replied the voice, emanating from a middle-aged man sitting in a large chair at the end of the hall. "Do you take your calling as a Holy of Jizengensei seriously, young Lucian?"_

_"Y-yes sir!" stammered Lucian, turning quickly towards a set of steps off the to the side and quickly finding his seat among the nine other Holies of Commission Ten. "I just lost track of time, that's all. I was working with Commodore Valhalla of Commission Two, and when he gets here he will…explain…" Lucian's eyes wandered over to Commission Two's section, and sitting there on the first tier was his teacher, Commodore Ryojin Valhalla, sitting quite comfortably with a grin upon his face as his soft blue eyes and perfect, handsome face peered back at Lucian._

_"Sometimes I wonder about you, Lucian…" grumbled the Head Commodore while bouts of laughter could heard across the hall. "Commodore Valhalla arrived before the meeting even began. Now then, let us carry on. As you all may be aware, Commodore Jorgensen of Commission Three has decided to move on to the Mortal world, and as such we will be celebrating his life and progression with a Grand Pasaje at sundown. You are all required to attend, and Commodore Revenant of Commission Seven will be conducting the ceremony as well as…"_

_"You have been late twice in a row!" whispered the dark-skinned Holy sitting next to Lucian as the Head Commodore continued deliberating. "What is with you? You knew that Commodore Jorgensen was going to retire soon…"_

_"I know, Esquevedo, I know," replied Lucian softly. "We got carried away with work."_

_"I've never felt right since you accepted Commodore Valhalla as your mentor," continued Esquevedo Veracruz, looking far younger and kinder than most of the Holies in the room. "I wish you would tell me what you're working on with him."_

_"I can't…" replied Lucian. "I'm sure he'll announce it once we're done; fact is, I don't even know what it is, but he promised me I would make Commodore for it."_

_"It must be something grand, then," replied Esquevedo. "Don't forget Cerillius has to leave your soul first though. If that doesn't happen, nothing else matters."_

_"Yeah, yeah," replied Lucian, turning his attention once again to the Head Commodore. The remainder of the meeting was rather blasé; Lucian had attended dozens of these already. Unlike Soul Society, where Captains maintained authority for centuries in some cases, it was very rare for a Commodore of Jizengensei to serve more than twenty or thirty years, and beyond that the tenure of a Holy in general was no longer than fifty or sixty. As such, the turnaround for Holies was rather rapid, and it seemed like every week someone retired or decided to move on – in this case, the Commodore of the Third Commission, Henrik Jorgensen, he having served almost seventy years in his position._

_As the meeting adjourned and all in attendance began filing out, Lucian pushed and dodged his way further into the room until reaching the section for the Second Commission where he found Commodore Valhalla smiling with a mischievous grin._

_"That wasn't fair!" complained Lucian, prompting a laugh from his mentor. "I left before you, and I didn't stop running…"_

_"Come walk with me for a moment," interrupted Ryojin Valhalla, stepping down from his seat on the first tier. He then began to join to congregation of Holies exiting the chamber, and Lucian gathered his wits and ran after him. Once in the main promenades where the air was much less stifled and cool, away from the hustle and bustle of the adjourned meeting, Ryojin turned to Lucian with kindness written across his face._

_"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you," he said, placing his hand on Lucian's shoulder. "I should have informed you earlier about the importance of secrecy to our project. Should Head Commander El-Gendy discover it before completion, there might be some confusion and it could be shut down and ruined."_

_"I understand that," replied Lucian, breathing a little heavily from his rush to catch up to his mentor. "My real issue…is how you got here so…quickly…"_

_"Oh, that?" chuckled Ryojin. "Well, why don't you tell me how you think I got here before the meeting started?" Lucian labored for a few moments more before looking up towards the distant, high ceilings of the promenade._

_"Well…" he began, an air of deduction in his voice. "We finished up our experiments several minutes before the meeting officially began, and it took me two minutes to have Jigenseisokuka get me back to the city, where he left me in the shadows just outside Communion One's main gate. I figured he left you there as well, so you likely were able to…"_

_"But according to that logic I would have arrived at Communion One's gate as the meeting began," observed Ryojin. "Instead think a little outside of the box; don't be restricted by physical limitations of movement."_

_"Are you saying…" pondered Lucian. "You used Jigenseisokuka to travel here without me?"_

_"That is correct," said Ryojin pleasantly. "My zanpakuto, Jigenseisokuka, isn't particularly trusting of anyone except me. I've been working with him to loosen up and relax, and I'd like to think he is improving. But regardless, Jigenseisokuka takes the secrecy of the project just as seriously as I do, since obviously he is a major part in it; as such he wanted to take you somewhere where no one would see. But the lesson here is not to show my superiority over you, Lucian; it is to teach you."_

_"Teach me?" asked Lucian. "Teach me what?" Ryojin looked to the ground for a moment, the kindness in his face almost relaxing to Lucian to look at. Lucian loved his professor, his teacher, his maestro; Ryojin had taken a keen eye to Lucian ever since he became interested in being a Saint, and had been there for him at every important moment in his career, from his acceptance into the School of Saints to his graduation into the illustrious society of the Holies._

_"Remember when I advised you when you created Cerillius five years ago?" asked Ryojin after a moment. "Do you remember what I said about the nature of your zanpakuto?"_

_"Of course," replied Lucian confidently. "You said that Cerillius represents not only who I am, but also what I wish I could be."_

_"Correct," said Ryojin. "Now, obviously the zanpakuto's sex is a decision purely given to it to make, and I'm not saying that inside you wish to be a girl, but its power and abilities come from your own inner desires, from your spiritual core's nature itself. Of course, these abilities may be unknown to even the most powerful Holy until the zanpakuto has grown enough to exist outside our spirit cores. What else did I tell you, though?"_

_"You did say something about Cerillius and Jigenseisokuka being similar," answered Lucian. "Their spirits seems to resonate well when brought together."_

_"Exactly," replied Ryojin happily. "I had a theory that recently I have seen evidence showing it is true, that when zanpakuto are very young, their own spirits emit energy of a certain type and frequency depending on their abilities. Now, of course, there are almost infinite individual energy types out there, but if two are similar then there would be some amount of constructive interference when the two energy waveforms come in contact."_

_"Constructive interference?"_

_"Yes," continued Ryojin, now turning and slowly walking down the now empty promenade. "Imagine waves upon water. When two waves collide at the same frequency, the resultant wave from the collision can either be smaller or much larger than the individual waves. These new peaks would be easier to see, feel, and sense, and when you stand near me or Jigenseisokuka we both can feel these intensified feelings."_

_"So you're saying that Cerillius has abilities similar to your zanpakuto?" mused Lucian, to which Ryojin nodded._

_"It may serve to help her develop faster," said the Commodore. "By knowing what her strengths are ahead of time, you can work together to help her grow. By my theory, and I'm sure that when you search your soul and commune with Cerillius, you will find that she is a dimensional-type spirit, just like Jigenseisokuka."_

_"Wow…" sputtered Lucian, his mind awash with a mixture of pride and excitement. Commodore Valhalla was the most famous and powerful Holy of all Jizengensei, thanks in large part to his masterfully crafted and highly-developed zanpakuto; while a perfect or unbeatable zanpakuto was impossible to reach, his was surely the finest of all._

_"Now Lucian, I can sense in your soul a growing amount of pride," said Ryojin with a cautions tone, interrupting Lucian from his somewhat selfish thoughts. "But you must understand that no one in creation is perfect save God, and that goes for our zanpakuto as well. They have weaknesses, frailties, fears, phobias, everything that you or I might have. At the same time, they can feel love, sadness, joy, hate, and even romantic feelings if one isn't careful…"_

_"I know, Maestro," said Lucian with a bow. "Thank you for teaching me, even in this moment of foolishness." Lucian hung his head down and began to turn before feeling a hand on his shoulder._

_"You are the best person I've ever met, Lucian Francis," said Ryojin, his voice filled with pride and love. "Your undying honesty surpasses even the great ones of legends past, and I'm sure God is looking down upon you with keen interest even as I."_

_"Really?" asked Lucian, a lump welling up in his throat as he looked up at Ryojin's warm façade._

_"Most definitely," he replied. "I'll see you at the Grand Pasaje tonight." Ryojin then smiled kindly while a red blur appeared in the air behind him, and as if by magic he vanished into this red blur which also disappeared, leaving Lucian alone in the expansive promenade of Communion One._

_"Thank you, Maestro…" he said softly to himself before turning and running down the hall. Several hours passed while Lucian sat quietly in his room within the chambers of the Tenth Commission, focusing as hard as he could and trying desperately to get Cerillius to speak to him. Lucian had only had brief, sporadic contact with the zanpakuto inside his soul, and his meeting with Ryojin earlier that afternoon only made him more anxious. Unfortunately, within these few hours no such contact was achieved, and Lucian, wary of being late twice in one day, gave up and headed to the Grand Pasaje as the sun was beginning to set over the endless city._

_This celebration of life was to be held in the Grand Coliseum of Jizengensei, the largest of all the public meeting places of the Premortal Realm, and definitely a meeting place of sufficient beauty and grandeur appropriate for the sendoff of such a mighty man as Henrik. When Lucian arrived thousands already were gathered for the momentous occasion. These were people from all ends of Jizengensei, the only populated area of the entire planet, the rest of which was a lifeless, waterless, barren wasteland, but this was not of any worry to the residents of the Premortal Realm. Jizengensei itself was a city of unimaginable dimensions, stretching almost ten thousand miles in length and width, consisting of vast forests full of wildlife, all manner of plants and insects, great lakes filled with fishes and whales; indeed, an entire world of life existed in this grand city, and as such the desolate outside world beyond the grand walls of Jizengensei was ignored and left completely alone._

_As he stepped into the coliseum, the dense aroma of myrrh, Commodore Jorgensen's favorite incense, dominated the air filling Lucian's nostril with its sweet, resinous scent, and immediately he began to feel relaxed and happy. This was, after all, a tremendously happy occasion; pasaje was never viewed as a sad event nor a reason to grieve. Every soul needed to pass through mortality, the Afterlife, and the cycle between them to grow further beyond the knowledge attained in the Premortal existence. This graduation into the next phase of life was seen as a glorious event, as through it one came closer to the Eternal Realm, the final stage in physical and spiritual development, after which only those who reached that state knew of what remained. There a person would meet their god, and pasaje, being the only method out of the Premortal, was hence the only method by which one could become an Eternal being. It was not painful, nor frightening, and as such there was no fear towards it; as such the atmosphere within the coliseum was more of a joyous festival with much happy conversation and discussion among guests._

_In general, pasaje was strictly a family-and-friends affair, with the pasaje of a parent or child taking place within the home. However, for high-ranking officials, celebrities, and other important figures, these public events were frequent, normal, and treated almost as festivals within Jizengensei._

_"Lucian!" called out a familiar voice from off among the crowd entering the coliseum, and Lucian turned to see Esquevedo Veracruz, his fellow Holy from Commission Ten, inching his way through the crowd towards him._

_"Hey, Esquevedo!" replied Lucian, and after several moments Esquevedo finally plowed his way through._

_"I saved you a seat on the front right next to where Commodore Jorgensen will go through pasaje!" exclaimed Esquevedo proudly, at which Lucian gaped._

_"You did?" he asked, his voice stuttering a little in disbelief. "But those seats are almost always reserved by the Dignitaries…"_

_"I was down there a little early, and Commodore Jorgensen came to me himself and requested that we sit near to him!" continued Esquevedo. "I don't know why, but he wants us there! Isn't that exciting? Come on, let's go!" Esquevedo grabbed Lucian's arm and dragged him into the deepening crown, the two almost immediately vanishing into the sea of guests until they popped out at a series of steps leading down to the event floor of the coliseum. There Esquevedo ran down, dragging poor Lucian along like a ragdoll until they reached the event floor. Upon this floor were set hundreds of fine, wooden chairs until a small stage was erected in the center of the court, and Esquevedo led Lucian all the way up to this stage where their seats were located._

_"Check it out!" exclaimed Esquevedo emphatically as he pointed all around the coliseum at various objects, assuming that Lucian was paying attention. However this was not the case, as Lucian's attention was now taken by the arrival of the handsome, rugged, walnut-eyed and hazel-haired Commodore Henrik Jorgensen and his lovely, blonde, soft-eyed wife Lena. Neither looked a day over thirty years old, yet this was indeed deceiving; both Henrik and his wife were well over one hundred years of age, being among the very oldest residents of Jizengensei. Together they had created dozens of spirit children with their own two hands, and one by one seen them off to sojourn in the Mortal Realm, but now they had finally decided to make the journey themselves._

_Lucian could only stand in awe as the Commodore of the Third Commission approached; while he had been a Holy for now five years, not once had Lucian ever had any contact with the Commodore aside from glimpses across the Chamber of Communion. This was due in part that each of the thirteen Commissions kept to their own region of Jizengensei, wherein specific training was meted by each group to the young Saints. Now, while each saint was required to be trained by each of the thirteen Commissions, this training was dealt with by the Officer and Holies, not the Commodore himself. As such, this was the closest to this legend of a man that Lucian had ever been, and for him it was an incredible honor. Lucian felt the urge to approach him and his wife, but a booming rouse of music erupted, filling the coliseum with docile and pleasant tones that calmed the soul despite their volume._

_"Lucian! Sit down!" pleaded Esquevedo, tugging on Lucian's white, ceremonial cape. Lucian shook his head and looked back at his friend, noticing he had taken several paces towards the stage while the chairs behind were already filled with curious onlookers, these being among the Lords and Ladies of Jizengensei. Immediately Lucian's cheeks blushed and he sat down next to Esquevedo who, despite the embarrassing situation, was bubbly and giddy as a small child in an amusement park. Above on the stage the three Elders then appeared, all looking very regal in their fine purple gowns and robes, and these three sat down next to Commodore Jorgensen and his wife, while yet another individual, this being the Head Commodore El-Gendy, a large, dark-toned man of foreboding presence approached the head of the stage. All around the coliseum became silent as the occupants awaited the ceremony that was now to begin._

_"Thank you all for coming this evening," announced Head Commodore El-Gendy, his voice uttered calmly yet carrying to every square inch of the vast, populous coliseum. "Tonight we gather to bid Godspeed to our beloved Commodore Henrik Jorgensen and his wife Lena Jorgensen, with whom we have all loved and adored as the greatest among us. I now turn over this event to he who has caused us to gather, Commodore of Commission Three, Henrik Hans Jorgensen." The coliseum erupted into grand applause as Commodore Jorgensen stood to address them, and came to a hush as he raised his hands to quiet them._

_"My dear friends with whom I have shared these, the first one hundred and fifteen years of my existence," he began, his voice resonant with a clean, deep bass. "I could say that I should have done this a long time ago, and joined the next estates with my children, but alas, I have had extreme difficulty leaving such admirable and wonderful individuals such as yourselves. As you all know, the rite of pasaje places a temporary yet unbreakable block on the soul, keeping out all memories of the Premortal world, and further hindering memory as one passes between the Mortal Realm and Afterlife. This is not without purpose, however, since part of our existence as specified by God is to have many chances to live our lives, to see how we grow and develop in each sojourn. At the end, however, our complete memory will return, and fill us with the light and knowledge necessary to progress onto the Eternal Realm._

_"I could not wish for a greater reward for any of us than that. As such, I implore you not to prolong your wait or delay pasaje once you feel the urge to move onward. Yes, mortality can be difficult, but we know the immense rewards it brings. Pain, sorrow, suffering, even mortal death cannot compare to the exquisite and glorious existence of the Eternal Realm. Therefore, I will be an example unto you all, as will my wife; we will forsake the knowledge and memory of Jizengensei, and go through pasaje, that we might know an even grander existence._

_"I have asked Commodore Michele Revenant of the Seventh Commission to conduct the rite of pasaje for us both, but first I have asked several individuals to come near unto us, so that I might impart of them an inkling of wisdom before I vanish into the Mortal Realm." All around the coliseum whispers of shock and intrigue emerged, and Lucian's heart began to race as he watched Henrik step from the stage and begin addressing those seated on the front row directly before the stage. Beside him, Esquevedo's face was now pouring with sweat as he too made the realization, and all those in the front row stood to be personally addressed. Time couldn't stand still long enough it seemed, however, as Lucian felt as though ages were passing by while awaiting Henrik to come before him. What would he say? What words of immense knowledge and power would he say? How much would this change Lucian's life? Why would he even want to speak with Lucian in the first place? These thoughts were suddenly interrupted though, as Lucian noticed Henrik leaning in to whisper into Esquevedo's ear, then stepping over to and standing before Lucian. Henrik smiled and leaned forward until his mouth was just next to Lucian's own ear. There he raised a hand covered his mouth so that others might not hear, and he whispered as gently as a breeze through tall grasses words that froze Lucian's soul down to the very core._

_"Beware Commodore Valhalla, young Lucian."_

_Without another word Henrik moved on to the next person and followed a similar pattern of whispering, and Lucian sat down. Never had words struck him so, but the message seemed so strange, so terrible. His mind repeated these words over and over again, distracting him so much that he didn't even realize the rite of pasaje was about to begin. Commodore Michele Revenant, the beautiful brown-haired leader of Commission Seven, dressed in fine, gorgeous robes of pure white, stood before a kneeling Lena Jorgensen._

_"Lena Jorgensen," declared Michele, her voice soothing and docile to all those that heard. In her hand was a chain that hung down, the end of which was a large, beautiful, crimson crystal heart, the core of which radiated with light and power. "Take in your hands this heart, close your eyes, and feel the glory of God overcome you as your soul is elevated to the next level. You will be missed, but we will see you again at the gates of the Eternities." Lena did as requested, and placed her hands upon the heart. Her eyes then closed and her mouth opened slightly in euphoria. Light engulfed her body, and with a dramatic burst this light scattered into the air, filling the volume of the coliseum with radiance. All around the audience applauded and cried tears of joy, and after a moment the points of light vanished upon which Henrik dropped to his knees for his turn._

_The same words were uttered, and the same actions were taken, and just as had occurred moments earlier sparkling specks of radiant light filled the coliseum until he too had vanished away from them. After another hearty round of applause the coliseum began to empty, and after several minutes nearly everyone had left for their homes – except for Esquevedo and Lucian, both of whom sat motionlessly in their chairs, their eyes unblinking as both pondered the words given to them by Henrik._

_"You two…" said a voice from behind them, appearing so suddenly that it caused them both to jump out of their seats, only to see Commodore Ryojin Valhalla standing behind them. "I want you to both come with me, right now." Esquevedo nodded immediately and began to walk away with Ryojin who had already turned for the exits, but Lucian made no move. Instead his body trembled, fear wracking his soul as Henrik's words and the vision of Commodore Valhalla clashed within his mind._

_"Lucian…" called out Ryojin, his face still turned away from Lucian. "Why are you hesitating?"_

_"I-I…" he stammered, but try as he may no further words could come out of his gaping mouth. Ryojin then turned around, his pleasant and calming face bringing warmth to Lucian's chilled soul despite the fear within him._

_"You don't need to be afraid, Lucian," said Ryojin, his words so penetrating that Lucian felt as though his spirit was being drawn to them. "Come along, we don't want to be late." Lucian hesitated for only a brief second longer, but nodded and followed Commodore Valhalla as well. The commodore led the two young Holies out of the now empty coliseum and into the shadows of the nearby streets and buildings, in which lived many of the Dignitaries of Jizengensei among other normal citizens. Ryojin led the two deep into the darkness of an alleyway, wherein no one could see them traversing._

_"Commodore…" asked Esquevedo after a moment. "What is going on?"_

_"I have noticed over the last year that you have taken a keen interest in Lucian's project," replied Ryojin. "I felt that it was time to include you as well. I see great potential in you, as your mind is not yet beset with the adamant and unshakeable traditions so frequent in this realm." Once again Henrik's words filled Lucian's mind; never had Commodore Valhalla ever given him a reason to fear or worry. Quite the contrary, Ryojin was the one person in whom Lucian had the most trust, the greatest report, and the finest relationship. Truly, Henrik's words seemed most peculiar despite their power over Lucian's soul, but there had to be some mistake._

_"I'm most honored…" replied Esquevedo, his deep, young voice quivering with excitement. "To work with the second in command of the Holy Commissions…it is too great an honor for me to describe…"_

_"Words are not necessary, young Esquevedo," replied Ryojin kindly, and without another word the shadows became infused with a red blur. "Now then, please join me within Jigenseisokuka's realm." Ryojin vanished into the red blur, and Esquevedo did not hesitate to step inside. Lucian, on the other hand, began to feel sincere fear upon seeing the dimensional rift; never had Ryojin ever requested work on the project at such an hour. This was all very confusing, and at this moment Lucian felt the urge to turn back, but before he could he noticed the air all around him begin to get tinged by the same red blur. Before he knew it he found himself standing on the gray, lifeless dust of the asteroid that he and Ryojin had been creating for a year now, though this time he was not alone with the Commodore._

_"We are all gathered," declared Ryojin triumphantly to the group of ten that stood before him. "As I am quite sure, none of you know why I have brought you here to this world that Lucian and I have been creating, but very shortly I shall inform you."_

_"What is this about, Valhalla?" asked a woman in the group, immediately recognized as Commodore Michele Revenant, the same that conducted pasaje for Henrik and his wife. "If Head Commodore El-Gendy found out about this…"_

_"Please, Michele," interrupted Ryojin. "All things in time. Let me begin by telling you first why I selected the ten of you. First, Commodores Michele Revenant, Lillith Levesque, Callous Depardieu, Shinsei Gotei, I am humbled by your collective presence. Officers Guro Murad, Me'epo Sripathi, Stephen Cusack, Kyeongseok Goh, and of course Holies Esquevedo Veracruz and Lucian Francis…_

_"I have paid considerable attention to the careers of all of you for one particular reason: you are all of a fertile mindset, even those of you firmly rooted in the ways of tradition, specifically you who are Commodores. This fertility of thought allows you to think beyond the standard, outside the box, in ways that your comrades and fellow souls cannot grasp nor understand. For you the mysteries of the universe are nothing but another challenge waiting to be solved, and your minds and hearts are eager to push the envelope, to do what hasn't been done, and to see that which can't been seen. But what is most important is your tendency to reject traditions not based in pure logic._

_"It is for this trait that all of you share that I have brought you here on this night, away from the prying eyes of authority, in full trust that each of you will either accept my path, or report me immediately to the Elders and Head Commodore El-Gendy, as I'm sure he would be very interested to know of my design."_

_"And what is your design, Valhalla?" asked one of the Commodores, this Callous Depardieu, a slender, almost spindly man of graying hair with a shallow voice._

_"Rebellion…" replied Ryojin softly._

**Next Chapter: RYOJIN'S PROPOSITION – LUCIAN'S CHOICE**

**BONUS!**

So it has been requested that I change things up for a bit to lighten the mood. These suggestions have been to add a small filler to the story, add a quirky and funny bumper at the end of each chapter like the anime, or to just fill random section of the story with nonsensical paragraphs of horrific profanity. (Okay, that last one is made up). Now, while I'm not too keen on interrupting my story with a filler, I do think the funny bumper at the end of each chapter might be interesting. What do you think? (If this doesn't get you to comment, then I'm just going to have to hire that ninja to come after you).


	17. Chapter 16: Lucian's Choice

**CHAPTER 16: RYOJIN'S PROPOSITION – LUCIAN'S CHOICE**

_"Rebellion?" gasped Commodore Lillith Levesque, a shorter, thin woman with a small chest, round blue eyes, and shimmering blonde hair that hung just below her shoulders. "Against what would you be rebelling?"_

_"Against everything!" proclaimed Ryojin, raising his arms and turning around so that his back now faced the group, all of whom wore pure white ceremonial garments and cloaks. "All that you have been taught since your creation, all that now exists; all of it is flawed and cruel, and it need not be the way it is." Ryojin fell silent for a few moments while the gravity of the situation sunk into Lucian's mind as he stood behind the others._

_"There is a terrible punishment for those who seek to destroy God's law," stated Commodore Shinsei Gotei, a handsome, pointed Asian man with dark black hair tied neatly into a short ponytail, his eyes brown and full of energy and power. "If you are serious about your intentions, your soul will be confined to the wasteland beyond the walls of Jizengensei, where it will rot and decay over the millennia until at last it crumbles and disperses, no longer having the strength to move, speak, or even breathe."_

_"Retract, or your conscience will be forced to vanish over time," seconded Officer Guro Murad, a tall, well-built brunette with fair Scandinavian skin and penetrating sky blue eyes. "Death cannot come to you in this realm, but losing yourself to abject apathy is a far worse fate." Ryojin lowered his head, his face still turned away from them, and he gave a short, sarcastic laugh._

_"Truth you have spoken, akin even to the likes of Lucian the Honest," said Ryojin softly. "But you speak to me as though I am a fool; I know what happens to those cast out of Jizengensei, albeit few. I know the ramifications and seriousness of my charge, and I know that alone I will not be able to exact any change on our existence. I know that alone I will be cast out where my strength will dwindle and my spiritual body will become cold and stale…but I also know that with you, I can avoid that end and achieve my goal."_

_"So your answer is no, then," muttered Commodore Michele Revenant. "Ninety-four, Eternal Cage." The ground shook the area around the group of eleven as though all of the gray, lifeless plain of Ryojin's creation were about to rend itself apart beneath them, and with speed akin to a speeding bullet four stone walls with barred sides shot up from the ground, encompassing Ryojin where he stood. From high above a fifth grate appeared falling, and it capped the cage with a tumultuous roar of mass and momentum of collision._

_"Seraphim, go!" called out Commodore Callous Depardieu as he held out his spindly arm, upon which a rush of wind flew out from his being towards the cage where a white male figure with large, feathered wings appeared, a long spear reaching from its hands through the cage and against Ryojin's back._

_"Voltaire!" cried out Commodore Lillith Levesque, a bright flash flying from her hands to the opposite side of the cage. There another figure appeared, a man with dark, almost violet skin, dressed in black and deep crimson robes. In his hand he held a long, solid rapier, this now pressed against Ryojin's chest without a bend in the steel._

_"Retain him, Mokusei Fugu," declared Commodore Shinsei Gotei. Near the cage a great, orange, round figure appeared, not appearing to be human but more like a giant, three-meter tall Blowfish resting upon the ground beside the cage. A spine shot out from its mandarin-hued body, extending from its skin until connecting with Ryojin's right side where it held position without impaling him as the others were so doing._

_"Gunda!" cried out Officer Guro Murad, from whose body a shimmering silver wisp emerged and floated quickly to the fourth wall, where a tall woman dressed in a variety of regal furs appeared, a trident in her hands now pressed against Ryojin's remaining side._

_"Officer Sripathi, trap his legs," commanded Commodore Revenant, upon which the darker-skinned man with black hair and dark brown eyes nodded and held out his hands._

_"Fifty-four, Misery Mire!" called out Officer Me'epo Sripathi. Beneath Ryojin the ground became fluid, causing his legs to sink, but only for a moment before the ground again turned solid, trapping him at his shins._

_"Eighty-six, Steel Stalactite!" declared Officer Stephen Cusack, a rugged, handsome, American-looking young man with dark hair and emerald green eyes. He then raised his arms up, and a group of deathly sharp spikes of dark, tungsten-like metal appeared directly above the cage where they hovered motionlessly, ready at any time to fall upon the embattled Ryojin Valhalla._

_"Holies Veracruz and Francis," said Commodore Depardieu. "We are sorry that children as young as yourselves should have to see the brutality occasionally required of the Holies of Jizengensei to stop people like Ryojin. Do not panic, however; we cannot kill him – but we can immobilize him, even if it means running his body through from all directions."_

_"Do you still not retract?" asked Commodore Levesque, her lovely, fair face contorted with anger at her deviant comrade Ryojin. "Will you reject your foolish ambition and submit to the justice of Jizengensei, the justice of God?" Once again Ryojin was silent, his head hung even lower than before as though is despair, but when he spoke he completely dispelled that impression._

_"Why would I do that?" he asked with a strangely pleasant voice. Behind him, Commodore Gotei flung his hand up and pointed angrily at Ryojin, still trapped in the cage with the weapons of the zanpakuto still pressed against his body._

_"Pierce him!" shouted the Asian Commodore, and the zanpakuto did not hesitate to comply. Ryojin gave a short grunt as the four zanpakuto pressed against him, their weapons passing into his body without a trace of blood._

_"Now, Officer Goh…" said Commodore Depardieu, and the young, Korean-looking Officer with short, rough dark hair and dark eyes held his left hand and took a deep breath._

_"Ninety-one, Pearl Wind," stated Officer Kyeongseok Goh plainly. Inside the cage the ground seemed explode in bright white energy, creating a ball of energy like a pearl, but no larger than the inside of the cage. Outside the cage, the zanpakuto all (except for Mokusei Fugu) shielded their eyes from the intensity of the light from the Pearl Wind, and after only a moment the pearl vanished – but Ryojin was nowhere to be seen._

_"What?!" gasped Esquevedo, still standing next to a thoroughly horrified Lucian. "Where did he go?!" All ten Holies looked around wildly for a moment, all signs of Ryojin having disappeared, physical as well as spiritual._

_"I commend you for your faith in God's work," said Ryojin's voice suddenly, and off to the group's left he appeared with a blink of the eye, his body still showing the marks of being pierced, but showing no sign of pain. Near the cage the four zanpakuto reverted to their amorphous and initial states and returned to their masters, all while the ten Holies looked onward in shock._

_"How could he have escaped?" asked Officer Cusack in disbelief._

_"It's his own zanpakuto…" observed Lucian, speaking for the first since arriving in Jigenseisokuka's dimension. "Jigenseisokuka is the most powerful dimensional zanpakuto in all of Jizengensei and the later Realms combined."_

_"But the Eternal Cage is impervious to spirit!" said Commodore Revenant angrily. "How could he have gotten out…?"_

_"When one controls pathways to alternate dimensions, such things are child's play," replied Ryojin, the pierce marks already starting to disappear as his spirit body repaired itself. "Lucian is right, and as usual he speaks only the truth; I would expect nothing less from my most prized pupil, in whom I have great pride and satisfaction."_

_"So you'll force us to take this to another level, then?" asked Commodore Depardieu. "Very well, you leave me no choice but to invoke the highest Priesthood of the Tenth." All around the others looked at the Commodore of the Third Holy Commission in shock._

_"Callous, that's too much!" counseled Commodore Gotei. "Then ten of us are too close; we'll be caught in it as well!"_

_"I am aware of that," replied Commodore Depardieu. "But there is no other choice. If we want to stop him, then you will have to do what you can to resist the power of the greatest of all Priesthoods." Callous then held out both hands and began to speak. "One-Hundred, Destroying Ang…"_

_"That is not necessary, Commodore Depardieu," interrupted Ryojin, startling Callous so much that he stopped speaking midsentence, thus cancelling the technique. "You do not need to risk harming the souls of your precious comrades for my sake; what you were about to do isn't a normal Priesthood, you know. It will disable all spiritual power within any individuals caught within its wake for several days; no matter how you try to avoid it, there is no escape from it. Instead, hear me out for a moment, and afterwards I will transport you back to Jizengensei unharmed. This I promise to you; after all, you are my precious comrades, in whom I have the greatest trust and admiration. Were it not so, I would not have brought you here._

_"I wish to tell you firstly who I really am; all of you have been told that I am the longest-sitting Commodore on the Holy Commissions, and that I have been in the position for a few years longer than Henrik Jorgensen, to whom we bade farewell earlier this evening. I am here to tell you that while the former assertion is true, the second is far from being veritable; in fact, it is so much a lie that I am amazed it was maintained for as long as it was. Indeed, Henrik was the last to know at least a partiality of the truth that I am about to further impart upon you, that my years as a Holy have now exceeded four hundred." Among the ten an air of shock and disbelief rose, particularly among Lucian who had idolized this man of whom he now realized he knew so little about._

_"Four hundred years?" asked Commodore Gotei incredulously. "That's impossible…no one has ever remained in Jizengensei for more than one hundred and twenty years! It's against the laws of God to stay here unless one is a…criminal…" Commodore Gotei's words slowed as he finished, noticing a smile growing upon Ryojin's face as he spoke._

_"A criminal I most certainly am," said Ryojin proudly, almost smugly. "Four hundred years ago I broke the laws of God and Jizengensei to such a degree that the Elders placed an unbreakable curse upon me, just like all other previous detractors, thus preventing my use of pasaje to move on to the Mortal Realm. I had, back then, embarked in a similar quest as I am today. Perhaps I should tell you what my true goal is; rebellion is the tool by which change will come to pass, and the change I wish to see is simply this: a preservation of memory when crossing the barrier into mortality."_

_"Think about it, if you will. How often have we seen good souls here go into the Mortal Realm and the Afterlife not knowing the vastness of the knowledge of Jizengensei, only to fall down paths of wickedness and consign themselves to an eternity in Hell? Such an end is damnation upon the soul; it is no better than being trapped here in the Premortal forever, and it represents a waste of a good person, a good soul, and a potential God. How many have been lost simply because they didn't know, because they couldn't remember what the final goal is? Four hundred years ago I asked this same question, and there were many who followed me, but…I was too weak, and my attempt at rebellion then was quashed almost before it began."_

_"However, my contributions to Jizengensei's culture, knowledge, strength and wisdom was far too great for them to confine me to the barren and spiritually dead wastelands outside the city walls. As such they permitted me to stay as a Commodore, but in return I had to not only forfeit my progression, but also my family was taken from me and sent in to the next Realms where they lived, died, and progressed without their father. What purpose could my life fulfill with that which I cared about most being taken from me? None, I declare. My life became worthless and heavy; I wished to be able to kill myself, but in this Realm that simply is not possible, but I also didn't want to torture myself endlessly outside the gates of the city. You could say I am selfish in this regard…_

_I realized then, several hundred years ago, that perhaps my purpose was not to wallow for eternity in self-loathing and pity. Perhaps my original goal was still possible, though I would need to fine tune and prepare it far better. My attempt at bringing down the current state of existence myself was too much, but if I had, say, ten powerful Holies to accompany me, I am sure positive change could be realized. That is why you are all here, because I have seen within you that which I need to bring about change. You all have the right mindset, the right spirit, the right abilities…you are, to me, the answer to my long journey." Ryojin held out his hands as if beckoning to the others to follow him, his face looking so forlorn it harangued their emotions despite the anger they felt._

_"This is blasphemy…" growled Commodore Revenant._

_"Of course it is," replied Ryojin. "But if we do not challenge those who govern us, how can we ever improve our state? I will not require an answer of you now; instead I will send you back to Jizengensei where you may do as you see fit. However, in twenty-four hours I will be back in the Coliseum waiting for you. If you decide in that time that indeed the current path of existence is flawed and that you will join with me in my holy cause, please meet me there. If not, please make sure that the full power of the Holy Commissions comes to consign me to my fate. Thank you." Ryojin bowed graciously to the group, upon which a red blur surrounded them, and within seconds the ten found themselves on the floor of the Romanesque coliseum, now completely vacant under the dark night sky of Jizengensei._

_The group stood in silence for several moments, not a word being shared among them during this space of time until Officer Goh, the young Korean man spoke up, his voice sounding slight and sheepish, riddled with a mixture of confusion and fear._

_"I…I guess we should go to Commodore El-Gendy about this…" he said slowly. "Commodore Valhalla has out stepped his role as a protector of God's law…"_

_"His punishment must be meted out," added Commodore Revenant. "But even the ten of us together could not detain that man. You are correct, Officer Goh; Commodore El-Gendy must be notified."_

_"I agree," said Commodore Depardieu. "But it is late, and the Head Commodore will be sleeping by the time we reach his home. We have until tomorrow night, so go home and strengthen your resolves; in the morning we shall go to Head Commodore El-Gendy and seal away Ryojin's wickedness." The Holies nodded in agreement and went their separate ways, and after a few seconds Lucian found himself alone with Esquevedo walking back through the immaculate and marble-hewn streets of Jizengensei to his home in the barracks of the Tenth Commission._

_Even in the nighttime, Jizengensei was a beautiful city all across its one-hundred million square miles; all around the buildings were carved out of the fine marble that made up most of the planet's surface, with grand architecture of all of the Mortal Realm's great dynasties and artistic regimes. The capital center of Jizengensei wherein the two Holies trudged slowly was of a Roman design, with Communion One representing a massive Parthenon mingled with great towers of pure, glorious white stone. While they thus walked, thoughts of Lucian's love for his home in the Premortal world constantly battered against his attempts to think about Ryojin. After all, what if Ryojin, Lucian's best friend for most of his life, was saying would change everything; if Ryojin was successful at overthrowing the current state of existence, a war would likely arise and the face of Jizengensei would be changed. However, if it were to fail and Lucian took part in it, he would be forever condemned to the spiritually dead wastelands that covered two-thirds of the planet, wherein only the diminishment of the soul could occur._

_"What are you thinking, Lucian?" asked Esquevedo as the two rounded a corner that led to the street heading up to the Tenth Commission. Lucian gulped and took a couple of deep breaths before speaking._

_"I'm not sure," replied the young Holy. "I guess I'm still trying to understand in my mind what just happened."_

_"Yeah," said Esquevedo. "It seems so unreal…but at the same time, when I think about it, I think that he's right." Lucian stopped suddenly, his faith set in a state of disbelief._

_"What are you saying?!" asked Lucian incredulously. "Commodore Valhalla is trying to destroy something that has been in place since the beginning! It's not just wrong, it's stupid!"_

_"But he's right!" countered Esquevedo. "How many people have been lost because they didn't keep their memories? How many lives have been ruined because of decisions made that otherwise wouldn't have been? How many more people would make it to the Eternal Realm, how many more friends and family would no longer be torn apart?"_

_"This is crazy…" said Lucian, shaking his head. "Go home, Esquevedo, and get some sleep. I don't want to even think about this any more until the morning."_

_"Yeah, yeah," agreed Esquevedo. "I guess I don't know what to do…maybe some time will help me clear my head." With that, Esquevedo Veracruz turned down an alley, leaving Lucian by himself to walk down the narrow stone street until he reached his home. The barracks were a small group of buildings wherein each Holy had his or her own small house, numbering ten in total, the grandest of these belonging to the Commodore. They were not overtly fancy or garish, but were definitely finer than most homes in Jizengensei, and Lucian was very happy to live in such comfortable conditions. As he reach the door to his small, stone home, he could see a ways off that Esquevedo, who had taken a different route home, had already reached his small cottage; this seemed to comfort Lucian a bit, knowing that his friend was okay, but even so the weight of Ryojin's betrayal hung heavy upon his heart._

_Inside Lucian whispered the words "Orb of Light" and held out his hands, a small glowing ball appearing at his fingertips and rising up to the roof of the spacious main room. His furniture became illuminated by the orb, revealing several comfortable white couches and a long, short table between them with a silver saucer upon it. Lucian gave a deep sigh as he looked upon his home, and he stepped further in and entered a small room off to the side where he emerged with a pitcher of water._

_"I guess I can see how Adrian is doing with his family," said Lucian softly to himself as he walked towards the silver saucer and poured the water in. He then sat down on the couch and let out a deep sigh as the water became still and motionless, and after a few moments it began to glow and swirl until an image appeared in it. No sooner had this image appeared than Lucian found himself yet again horrified as he leaned forward so far he almost fell into the saucer._

_"No…" he gasped, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked into the image presented before them. There inside the image stood a man with blood on his hands, a bloodied knife on the floor below him, his faced wrenched in horror. Beside him lay the murdered bodies of a woman and two children, one appearing to be a teenager and the other still under ten. Crimson stains covered the carpet and walls of the room, and the men let out a cry of terrifying anguish._

_"I…I murdered them…" stuttered the man to himself, the image being distorted slightly by the tears of Lucian falling into the water. "They'll never tell me what to do anymore…they'll never take my freedom away from me again…" The man, the same Adrian Lucian had referred to, then picked up the murder weapon and stabbed himself in the heart, and instantly died._

_"No! Adrian, no!!!" Lucian couldn't believe what he was seeing; first his master, and now his much older brother, one whom he had never met but had been told of with great admiration by his parents. All of it seemed so unreal, but Lucian knew too well to believe this foolish assertion. In the image in the saucer Adrian's spirit appeared next to his body, but only for a moment before a red glow overtook the room. Immediately Adrian began to scream as he was being sucked away into the Gate of Hell that had appeared near to him. For a few seconds this continued, until at last his spirit had been taken away into the Realm where only those who commit great evil are consigned._

_Lucian couldn't handle this; it was all too much, and in fury and horrendous sorrow he hit the saucer, knocking it away and spilling the water all over the room before running into his bedroom where he collapsed upon his small bed. Tears coursed out of his eyes onto the sheets, staining them with his sorrow._

_"Why, Adrian?" he asked himself, his voice warbled and unstable due to his tryst. "Why did you destroy yourself? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!" Suddenly Ryojin's words flooded into his mind, startling him and stopping his tears for a moment._

_**How many have been lost simply because they didn't know, because they couldn't remember what the final goal is?**_

_Lucian sat up and wiped his eyes; surely Ryojin was insane for wanting to change God's plan, but…what if there was merit to his desires. What if he was right? Had Adrian kept his knowledge while passing into the Mortal estate, he surely would not have murdered his family. Instead, he would have known the greatness of the goal, the glory of the Eternal Realm that awaited him only if he could persevere… Without another thought on the matter Lucian pulled his bed sheets over himself while still fully dressed in his ceremonial garments, and was fast asleep._

_While sleep came to him quickly, his slumber was not one of peace nor relaxation. Instead he tossed and turned all night, his heart sorrowful and his dreams disturbing. Again and again he saw friends and family all falling away and dooming themselves to Hell in the Mortal Realm…and yet there was nothing that he could do for them, instead allowed only to watch them from afar as they suffered and died. When morning came, Lucian awoke only to find himself still in a state of disarray, and as such elected not to travel to see Head Commodore El-Gendy with the others, instead staying in bed until deep into the afternoon and only emerging several hours before sunset._

_"I'm sure the others have arranged for his arrest…" he muttered to himself as he stood in his shower, his countenance low and pained as the water ran down his face and into the drain below. "But now that I think about it…I think he might be right…maybe I should go to see if he's there or not later to make sure…"_

_As sunset arrived upon Jizengensei once again Lucian left his home and headed back to the Coliseum. The streets were filled with residents heading home from their various interests and employments, all of them happily conversing and enjoying their comfortable lives. For Lucian this seemed to instill even more pain in his soul, and he lowered his eyes to the stone paving to avoid seeing them._

_**How can they go on like this, knowing that their brothers and sisters are ruining their lives?**__ he thought as he walked. __**Don't they know the destruction that awaits those who sin so greatly without knowing their own history?**__ Lucian's walk turned into a sprint, his resolve becoming firmer and firmer by the second, and after several minutes of this flight he arrived at the Coliseum where he immediately entered and found his way to the mezzanine that overlooked the ground floor below – but no one was there._

_A strange feeling, a mix of relief and disappointment settled in his heart, and Lucian began to step down the stairs until he reached the ground floor where jus the night before he had heard Commodore Jorgensen's piercing and penetrating words…_

_**Beware Commodore Valhalla, young Lucian…**_

_"I'm glad you came, Lucian Francis…" said a voice from the shadows, immediately recognized by Lucian as that of Ryojin. His blood seemed to turn to ice as he looked up to see Ryojin Valhalla stepping out of the shadows and towards him. Behind the Commodore, the other nine who had been with them the night before also emerged, each of them wearing an emotionless face of stony resolve._

_"Commodore…" said Lucian softly with a small bow._

_"So I take it you are here to arrest me?" asked Ryojin, but Lucian shook his head in the negative._

_"I'm here to join you, Maestro."_

**Next chapter: A FATEFUL PATH**

**BONUS!** Okay, I'm not comfortable doing this "funny bumper" thing yet. Maybe next time. Go Jazz!


	18. Chapter 17: A Fateful Path

**CHAPTER 17: A FATEFUL PATH**

_"Brothers and sisters," began Ryojin, his gentle yet diabolical voice echoing across the expanses of the Coliseum, every column and archway resonating with his melodious verbiage. "I am humbled beyond compare by your presence, and my heart is filled with such gratitude for your companionship that words feign to describe." Around him the ten Holies gathered, and with a single motion they all bowed before him._

_"It had never occurred to me the things you spoke of last night," replied Commodore Depardieu, his sickly, spindly body still bowed to Ryojin as he spoke. "I, as I am sure most of my colleagues would attest, was about to have you turned in."_

_"But we saw wisdom in your words," added Commodore Revenant, her lovely eyes now somewhat shallow and dulled in the dusk. "Things that I had always ignored or let pass as commonplace now struck a chord within me."_

_"You are right, Master Valhalla," chimed Officer Murad. "Something is not right about the current state of things."_

_"And it must be changed," finished Lucian, his tone filled with devotion to Ryojin and determination to see his goals realized. "That is why we are here. We are your loyal subjects henceforth."_

_"That is good," replied Ryojin with a smile and a tear that he quickly brushed away. "Now, time is of the essence, so I will explain to you my plan. It is fail-proof; with your conviction and devotion, the eleven of us cannot only defeat all of the Holies of Jizengensei, but within the hour the whole of the Premortal world will be under our command."_

_"Go on, Master," said Officer Cusack rather meekly. Ryojin smiled at him warmly and continued._

_"I have been most industrious today," continued Commodore Valhalla. "My first task was to ensure that the remaining one-hundred and nineteen holies, my own Officer, Shane Strife, included, would be present at this very hour at Communion One as part of an emergency meeting. I have generated a false report of an extraplanar being, similar to the one taught in legend, appearing some distance outside the walls of Jizengensei in the west. Truly, all of you can recount this legend, of the entity which consumed two-thirds of our world, consigning us forever to the heights of Jizengensei."_

_"But this I will not ask; instead, let it suffice that through Jigenseisokuka, my zanpakuto, I have been able not only to spread the rumor, but also generate an illusion that several civilian bystanders saw and reported. As such, Head Commodore El-Gendy and his bureaucratic self has undoubtedly started preparing a committee to discuss the event; that man…sometimes he makes me fear for the future of humanity with his oft-appearing idiocy. No matter, what is important to note is that there will surely be some concern over the lack of presence from five captains and four officers, a fact that will greatly overshadow the somewhat blasé vacancy of two lowly Holies."_

_"With this distraction, I have planned out our method of attack. Ten of us, Lucian excluded, will conduct a frontal assault on the Chamber of Communion. We, with our combined power, will make short work of all but one of the Holies, that being Head Commodore El-Gendy himself. I will admit this now – we cannot defeat that man, and at most we will have a window of maybe seven to eight seconds before he will have immobilized all of us. It is during that window, however, that his full attention will have to be given to detaining the ten of us – that is where you, Lucian Francis, come into the picture."_

_"Me?" asked Lucian, pointing to himself. "I'm just a Holy…my Zanpakuto hasn't even left my soul yet…"_

_"Ah, that is true," said Ryojin. "But you have two aspects of which we can make great use. First, you have a tendency to show up late for every meeting; while it isn't the greatest quality a Holy can have, it does have a psychological effect on those who witness it every week. Having you appear late will not affect Malik El-Gendy as much, and may prove to our advantage. Second, however, and most important, is the undying honesty with which you align yourself."_

_"But Master, I don't see how that could play into a rebellion…" started Lucian, but Ryojin smiled and shook his head._

_"It is not so much for the rebellion as it is for me," replied Ryojin. "The task that I will ask of you is one that only you can perform, as it will require both complete confidence in my foresight, as well as the greatest of mental fortitude to withstand…"_

_"Master…" interrupted Commodore Lillith Levesque stopping Ryojin midsentence. "Why do you need us?"_

_"What are you implying?" retorted Ryojin, to which Lillith held her composure._

_"Last night, the ten of us could not stop you even with our full power on display," she continued. "If you have been a Holy for over four hundred years, then surely your power is well beyond that of Commodore El-Gendy. Why, then, would you need us?"_

_"Indeed, one could say that my powers of the Priesthood combined with my zanpakuto would render me a terrifying foe," replied Ryojin slowly, as though pondering each of his words as he spoke them. "But my many lifetimes here has attuned my spirit so much that I can gauge a person's power by spending time with them in close proximity. From this I can tell you that since my creation, no one soul has equaled in power to Malik El-Gendy. Granted, there is one child that was recently created in the Far West district named Declan Greenleaf that is comparable, but of the current Holies in Jizengensei, no one even comes close. Besides, I can no longer fight…"_

_"What?!" gasped Commodore Gotei. "What do you mean?"_

_"I learned long ago that in order to make one's dreams come true, an element of sacrifice was necessary," responded Ryojin reaching into his white cloak and grasping an object therein. "In order to take down such a mighty individual, such sacrifice was committed, and I can never turn back the clock on my decision." Ryojin then drew out his hand, in it a sheathed knife, about a foot in length, held in a dark leather scabbard. He then withdrew the knife from the sheath, revealing its white, almost marble-like blade._

_"What…what is that?" asked Esquevedo, while the others stared rather confusedly at the weapon._

_"This is the key to our victory," declared Ryojin. "Lucian will approach Commodore El-Gendy, and plunge this knife into his heart."_

_"But that will do nothing to stop him," said Officer Goh. "It wouldn't even make him flinch!" Ryojin held out a finger at this remark and gave it a slight wag._

_"This blade is made from the same stone that covers the expansive wastelands of Outer Jizengensei and it was the second task I undertook," he continued, prompting a gasp from every member of the group. "I forged it myself this morning, using Jigenseisokuka's power to transfer me there and back. Naturally, the use of this material has had a drastic effect upon me, but with it that same effect will be had upon Commodore El-Gendy."_

_"But…" said Commodore Revenant, aghast at what she was seeing. "Prolonged contact with that stone drains your spiritual energy like a sponge. You mean to say…?"_

_"Yes," replied Ryojin, lowering his still-pleasant face. "I have lost my powers as a Holy. But to ensure a greater future for my brothers and sisters, for all humanity, it is a small price to pay."_

_"You must really be serious then…" muttered Callous Depardieu with a wry smile. "Very well, we shall not hesitate. Lead on, Master." With those words Ryojin began walking towards the same stairs that Lucian used to descend, and the others began to follow until Lucian spoke up yet again._

_"Master Valhalla…?" asked Lucian somewhat softly, causing Ryojin to turn to face him._

_"Yes, young Lucian?"_

_"You want me to stab Commodore El-Gendy in the back…" continued Lucian, fear leaking into his voice. "That…that's a terrible sin, even if he wouldn't die from the attack. That is betraying a fellow Holy…a fellow human…in the most evil of senses."_

_"Lucian…" started Ryojin, trying to sound as reassuring as he could. "There is no such thing as a peaceful revolution. In all the history of human existence, change cannot come by words or gentle persuasion. In order to make good the future of our human family, a short act of evil must be committed; it simply is the way it is. Do not fear, though; you will be seen as a hero for all coming generations, and your act, even all of our deeds this night will be heralded for all eternity."_

_"But what if…?" started Lucian, but Ryojin cut him short._

_"I will not allow for you to suffer the same fate as I," replied the Commodore. "This I promise with every fiber of my being. Now, let us depart." Without another word Ryojin smiled and turned around again, and the party, Lucian included, followed until once again the Coliseum was empty and silent._

_The sun was now almost set as the eleven left the coliseum and entered the cobbled stone streets of the Capitol district, casting deep, long shadows from each of them, these shadows mingling and melding into the creeping darkness. Silent they moved onward, taking the same path Lucian had on his way home the night before, though now their destination was Communion One. All around the other residents of the district were already in their homes; clearly Ryojin's rumor had spread quickly, and as such the streets were completely empty as they traversed. As they rounded a corner that led to the main highway leading to Communion One, Ryojin motioned with his hand for Lucian and Commodore Revenant to come up to him, and the two did so._

_"Lucian, you are to show up late as usual," said Ryojin. "But in order for you to know what is happening, I will ask Michele here to cast Priesthood Seventy-seven upon the two of you."_

_"Seventy-seven?" asked Michele Revenant. "That is the 'shared vision' spell…"_

_"Correct," interjected Ryojin. "Lucian will need to know our status before entering the fray. Specifically, he must enter when El-Gendy is about to detain us. With that distraction, Lucian can easily gain his trust and approach him."_

_"Very well," agreed Commodore Revenant. "Lucian, take my hand." Michele reached out with her left hand and Lucian took hers with his right, upon which Michele took a deep breath and spoke again._

_"Priesthood of the Seventh, Seventy-seven, Shared Vision."_

_As though a partition in Lucian's vision had suddenly appeared, he could see in his mind both his own vision and that of Michele clearly and concretely. The beauty of the spell, however, was not only that one could share vision between two individuals, but that the additional ocular input had no negative interference on either mind. As such, Lucian's movement, thoughts, and senses were not adversely affected. In fine, it became as though he had an extra set of eyes._

_"Connection complete," said Michele after a moment. "I now see what you see, and you should be able to see what I see, correct?"_

_"Yeah…" said Lucian. While the spell had no ill effects, it was the first time Lucian had ever used such a technique; as such, he was a little distracted by it, but this feeling soon departed as they rapidly approached Communion One, its tall white towers now darkened and shadowed by the setting sun. Within minutes the eleven arrived, and surely enough the grounds were empty, all of the Holies deep within the structure in the Chamber of Communion._

_"Lucian," said Ryojin as he turned to face the ten Holies. "We will enter first; wait for no more than thirty seconds and follow us – don't catch up though, but pace yourself. You don't want to be caught up in Malik's technique"_

_"Will that be enough time?" asked Esquevedo._

_"To disable the Holies?" replied Ryojin. "It should be done in less than ten." Ryojin then smiled comfortingly, and the ten entered the great archway that led into the structure leaving Lucian alone, though Lucian could see all of their moves through Michele Revenant's eyes. Deeper and deeper then ten ventured into Communion One, the innumerable marble pillars passing endlessly by them until at last the ten reached the closed gates of the Chamber of Communion._

_"Are you ready?" asked Ryojin to the nine with him. These then nodded in agreement, all the while the sounds of debate and deliberation creeping through the heavy wooden doors. "When I say so, I need you to simultaneously disable each and every Holy present using the most powerful methods you can. Now then…" Ryojin walked up to the doors and pushed them open, the light flooding from the Chamber into the dark hall where they stood. He and the nine then waltzed into the Chamber, the voices inside immediately stopping as all eyes fell upon Ryojin and the missing Holies._

_"Commodores Valhalla, Gotei, Levesque, and Revenant!" shouted Head Commodore El-Gendy, his dark-toned face screwed up in anger. "What in blazes are you doing showing up so late for this emergency meeting?! And Officer Murad, I am most ashamed that you, the officer of my own Commission, would not bother checking any messages I have sent you all day."_

_"Forgive us, please," said Ryojin in an almost mocking tone, one that seemed to enrage El-Gendy even more. "We were simply having a meeting of our own to discuss more important things. Surely you will understand, Malik."_

_"Your behavior in this time of danger is beyond reparation, and your smugness and haughty retort will only further your punishment!" cried out the Head Commodore. "The ten of you have brought shame upon this great organization, and in the morning your fates will be reviewed by the Elders…"_

_"I'm sorry, Head Commodore," said Ryojin, interrupting El-Gendy and drawing a peculiar look. "You will not be directing the affairs of the Thirteen Holy Commissions anymore; in fact, everything, from this moment on, will be different. So again, please, forgive us." Ryojin then raised his right hand gently, and with that the sign was given._

_"Gunda!" shouted Officer Guro Murad, raising her hands as she cried out. "Frys Verden!" With those words, a blue rush of frigid air flew out from around Guro's body towards the Holies nearest to her, and with the speed of a bullet two massive floes of ice blasted into the stands, encasing several dozen Holies within the massive, solid glaciers. Immediately the rest of the Holies rose from their seats, all preparing spells to deal upon Ryojin's team, but unfortunately for them the rebelling Holies were ready for them._

_"Voltaire!" said Commodore Lillith Levesque. "Pierce their souls." Like a flash of lightning Voltaire, Lillith's zanpakuto, appeared next to her wearing dark black robes with crimson interiors over his violet skin, and with a rapid cross of the arms numerous shafts of steel shot out seemingly in all directions with such speed that the Holies near her had no chance of escape. Instead the thirty in her vicinity all being pierced through their chests by the growing web of steel needles, holding them in place while the pain was too great among them to conjure any Priesthoods at all._

_"Seraphim," said Commodore Callous Levesque, the handsome, winged zanpakuto with blonde hair appearing next to him in an instant. "Go for the throats." Seraphim nodded and slashed him wings forwards at the ground thirty or so Holies before them, a literal storm of razor-sharp feathers flinging towards them with fascinating speed. Just as with the other ill-fated Holies, none could evade in time, and as such the feathers hit every target in the throat, stopping their speech and leveling them to the ground in a holocaust of power._

_"Fidéle," whispered Commodore Michele Revenant, a gray wisp of air now circling her lovely self. "Drain them." With those words, a shapeless gray blur sped throughout the room, touching each and every remaining undefeated Holy, and within a half-second the remainder fell to the ground where they stood. The blur then vanished, leaving the ten alone with Head Commodore Malik El-Gendy. All the other one hundred and eighteen Holies were defeated, none of them able to move, speak, or even breath in some cases, and at this moment Ryojin took a step forward towards the Head Commodore whose visage was now switched to one of complete shock and discombobulation._

_"Give up, Malik," demanded Ryojin, upon which he held out his hand and a small black orb ringed with an eerie red glow flew from his fingers. Behind the nine's body began to glow as they prepared a final onslaught of offense, but before Ryojin's orb could travel three feet the Head Commodore made his move._

_"Destroying Angel," he said calmly, his arms shooting out ahead of him. The instant these words left his lips an unfathomable wave of energy overcame the ten revolutionaries, bringing all ten of them, Ryojin included, to their knees as they held their heads in utter agony. For them the pain was too great for even a breath, let alone any sound to be uttered; instead their ten faces were wrenched in horrific states, every muscle clenched so tightly it seemed they would tear. However, despite the awful scene, Lucian knew that this was the moment of truth._

_The young Holy dashed into the room running along the upper edges of the highest tier for half the circumference until he at last leapt down, landing directly beside Head Commodore El-Gendy. Aside from the horror before Lucian's eyes, he couldn't help but marvel, if just for a moment, at Malik's power; not only was the Head Commodore exacting the God-like power of the Destroying Angel, the highest Priesthood, upon his foes masterfully, he was doing so without endangering the souls of anyone else, Lucian included. In fact, the wave of Priesthood seemed to be completely localized around the ten, no doubt increasing its effect tremendously with such high concentration._

_"Lucian!" said Malik, his head not turned but his eyes peering at Lucian from their corners. "You are very late!"_

_"Yes, Head Commodore," replied Lucian. The young Holy then reached into his white robes and grasped the handle of the knife and began to retract it…but for some reason his hand wouldn't move. At first he though, perhaps, someone had put a spell on him, but that lasted only a microsecond before he realized the real truth: he did not want this evil._

_"L-Lucian…" gasped Esquevedo, exerting all the power he could to utter those words in hope that he could convince his comrade to hurry with the plan, but to his utter dismay Lucian pulled out his hand without the knife. Esquevedo's eyes widened for a split second before reverting back to pain, and Lucian felt as though his heart tore in half. The Destroying Angel only lasted for a second after this, after which Malik released the curse, leaving the ten revolutionaries silent and still upon the ground, their bodies appearing lifeless and dead before Lucian's trembling eyes._

_"What a mess…" grumbled Malik. "Lucian Francis, did you have anything to do with this?" Lucian hesitated, his gaze completely stolen by the image of his friends upon the ground. "LUCIAN!" shouted Malik, this time much louder and much more forceful. Lucian then turned his head and looked into Malik's eyes, his own filled with tears as he spoke._

_"No, Head Commodore," he replied slowly. "I don't know anything about this…I'm sorry I was late." Lucian then looked to the ground, and fell to his knees, and no longer could he hold in his emotions. With a faint whimper the tears began to roll down his face as he knew he had just betrayed those closest to him. He then felt a hand upon his shoulder, and he looked up to see Malik El-Gendy, the large, dark-toned man appearing majestic and regal, standing next to him and looking down with a smile._

_"Honest Lucian," he said, patting him twice upon the shoulder. "No need for tears. I'm sorry you had to see this, but I am glad you didn't have to suffer." Malik then turned towards his embattled Holies, raised his hands, and whispered a few words upon which the ice and steel vanished and all the Holies gradually stood back up, some shaking their heads and others felling their bodies where they had been pierced._

_"What's going to happen now?" asked Lucian, his body still trembling from the adrenaline of his betrayal._

_"They will be tossed into the wastelands where they will persist henceforth," replied the Head Commodore in a dejected tone. "This night is one of infamy; we've lost ten wonderful souls, but in time their spirits will disperse and again be given a chance at life. Now then, we must hurry before they regain consciousness."_

_The journey to the western wall seemed like an eternity for Lucian, his body trembling almost non-stop during the long journey as he accompanied Malik and the other Commodores as they carried Ryojin and the other traitors down the path to perdition. A five thousand mile trip, their use of Relampago, a lightning-fast method of movement that involved energizing the spirit matter around one's body made this journey take only eighteen hours, until at last they arrived at the expansive western wall late in the afternoon of the following day._

_Stretching from north to south over ten thousand miles, this wall of gargantuan proportions stretched far beyond what the human eye could see, extending well beyond the horizon and far beyond the curvature of the planet. As Lucian stood at the brink and looked below, the sight was dizzying to the point where he stumbled backwards in fear from falling. Below the ground of the wasteland lie four miles down, the height partially obscured by a violent dust storm that blanketed the air as far as Lucian could see. With no words or statements, the ten revolutionaries Ryojin Valhalla, Lillith Levesque, Michele Revenant, Shinsei Gotei, Callous Depardieu, Kyeongseok Goh, Guro Murad, Stephen Cusack, Me'epo Sripathi, and Esquevedo Veracruz, still seemingly lifeless in a catatonic state induced by Malik's Destroying Angel, were cast down off the wall._

_Further and further they fell until at last their tiny figures vanished within the violent storm below, and with that the Commodores all turned to make the journey back to the Capitol district, leaving Lucian alone to gaze out into the endless wasteland below. Again his eyes filled with tears, and he reached into his robes, pulled out the knife given to him by Ryojin, and dropped it off the heights of the wall._

_"Forgive me…Maestro…"_

--

Aiseki (Mark), Ichigo, Chad, Ishida, and Inoue all stood speechless as Lucian finished relating to them his tragic history, but before any of them could fathom a response, Declan approached Lucian, now standing forlorn with his head hung before them. The young Holy then grasped Lucian's shirt and lifted him up in the air, Declan's face riddled with shame and anger.

"You lied!" shouted Declan with an enraged yet deeply sorrowful tone. "You lied to those who trusted you most! How can I believe everything you say is truth now?" With that he threw Lucian forward where he landed awkwardly, and Declan turned and walked away on the lifeless, moon-like Plane of Sorrow without looking back nor saying another word.

--

Back in Soul Society, deep in the forests well beyond the boundaries of Western Rukongai, Captain Kurotsuchi, the eccentric and peculiar blue-haired Captain lay upon a grassy hill protruding from the trees, his orange eyes peering through what appeared to be binoculars held against his painted white and black face. For quite some time the Captain of the Twelfth Squad of Sereitei surveyed his surroundings, the magnification of the telescopic device very great and giving him detailed images of objects nearly one hundred miles away from his position.

"I could have sworn they would have come this way…" he muttered to himself as he switched the viewing power up one level as he continued scanning. "All the trajectories pointed to them coming through…" Suddenly he stopped speaking, a smile growing upon his face.

"Got you…"

**Next chapter: CONTACT**

**BONUS!** No bonus today. Maybe instead you should raid your freezers and see if they have any BONUSES like ice cream or Otter Pops. Mmmm…Otter Pops…


	19. Chapter 18: Contact

**CHAPTER 18: CONTACT**

Birds chirped a light, cheerful song as the morning sun crested the hills surrounding the expansive forest, casting glints of light through the dense canopies onto the small camp, wherein slept in comas Yoruichi and Shakuho, the Unbound Soul, while Kisuke Uruhara sat quietly tending to a small, smoldering fire. Nearby slept Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu as well, these having had an exhaustive day of guard duty the day before. Kisuke had kept the watch during the night while Alicia and Shigeryu were gone, these having left on a journey to accomplish that which was nearly impossible – enlisting a zanpakuto to join with Alicia. This woman, Alicia Anders, had found herself in an interesting predicament, that being a shinigami without a sword; however, while obtaining a zanpakuto was critical to her growth and future success against the Viajante and his companions, even Kisuke knew that it was a long shot.

"What a long night…" muttered Kisuke to himself, gazing up into the sky from beneath his wide-brimmed green-and-white hat. "What a long, terrible night…"

"What happened?" asked a woman's voice from behind, and Kisuke turned to see Yoruichi Shihoin, the dark-skinned, violet-haired woman who had fallen to Fu's devious technique now sitting up, her arms resting on her legs and her face directed downward toward the ground ahead of her. "Are we in Soul Society?"

"Good morning, Yoruichi-san!" called out Uruhara as pleasantly as he could, a large smile stretched across his face. Yoruichi, however, ignored his somewhat goofy expression.

"Kisuke…" she said softly. "Where is Ichigo?" Uruhara gulped and took a deep breath before answering.

"Ichigo and that American boy were both killed," he said slowly. "Both you and Shakuho nearly died as well, but Tessai was able to save you…"

"Dead, huh?" muttered Yoruichi, after which she lowered her head even further and closed her eyes. "I didn't really even know that American kid, Mark or whatever his name was. So I take it the real world is gone now? Did those people actually destroy it all?"

"I'm afraid so," replied Uruhara. "We escaped into a wormhole created by that Viajante character along with Mark's wife Alicia and one of the Viajante's henchmen."

"This is a terrible tragedy…" continued Yoruichi. "I failed…I should have seen through such a cheap trick by that woman…"

"Fate, it seems, was against us all," interrupted Uruhara. "But at the same time, we are alive, and we have been given a second chance to rectify the situation. Perhaps by our efforts we can prevent Soul Society from suffering a similar end."

"What about him?" asked Yoruichi after a moment, directing her gaze at the gray-haired Shakuho Hitokage, who still lay unconscious beneath a blanket on the ground. "He get beat up too?"

"The Viajante defeated him," answered Uruhara from beneath his hat. "The wound was far deeper than we expected, and it seems that whatever cut him was not steel. In fact, it appears that his flesh simply separated on its own – very cleanly, no tearing, and as such it has been difficult to heal. Tessai is good, though…" Kisuke trailed off as a third voice interrupted them, a low, mumbling voice not unlike that of a slumbering individual.

"Yeah, I do like that…" mumbled Shakuho dreamily as he slept awkwardly on the ground, his arms hidden under the blanket with a peculiar amount of fumbling and movement beneath. "Oh, Nanao-chan…you're so naughty…"

"He's dreaming about…?" muttered Kisuke under his breath.

"That freaking pervert!" gasped Yoruichi, her face now alive with outrage. "She's at least one hundred years too young for him!" This outburst seemed to be enough to wake Shakuho, who gave a great yawn and turned to face them, his face still drawn with drowsiness.

"Hey, Kisuke…Yoruichi-san…" he grumbled, yawning for a second time. "What are you doing…" Suddenly the grey-haired Shakuho's eyes widened in horror, and he leapt to his feet though not without an immediate wrenching of pain across his chest that brought him back to the ground. There he looked down and felt the bandages wrapped around his torso in place of his black shirt beneath his long green trench coat.

"I'm glad you're both awake," said Kisuke with a forced smile. Shakuho, however, continued probing his wrapped wounds with a mixture of curiosity and terror.

"What happened…where is Aiseki?" he asked softly. "Where is the Viajante?"

"Aiseki is dead, Shakuho," answered Kisuke, prompting a sorrowful shudder from Shakuho as his face fell into a forlorn tryst. "The real world is gone, along with everyone in it. We, along with the Viajante and his followers, are the only survivors."

"But the American boy's wife survived," added Yoruichi. "Same with the man you fought." At these words Shakuho lifted his head up and stared at Yoruichi in shock.

"Dorei?" he gasped. "Where is he? Where is Alicia?!" Frantically he looked around the camp for these two, but could not find them.

"I have sent them on a quest," replied Kisuke, now standing up and brushing off his lap as he spoke. "Alicia-san is now a shinigami, like Ichigo Kurosaki before her. She does not, however, have a zanpakuto, and as such we sent the two of them to…"

"Dorei is a follower of the Viajante!" interrupted Shakuho, he too now standing up despite the pain, staring down his old friend angrily. "He's playing you for fools! I'm sure the Viajante knows that we survived, and Dorei is just here to pick us off, one by one! How could you be so reckless…" Shakuho trailed off as two figures appeared out of the corners of his eyes off through the trees to his left, and he turned to see Alicia Anders with Kon the stuffed lion konpaku tied to her waist along with a short wakizashi, and Shigeryu, formerly Dorei, beside her. Both had a strange look of accomplishment on their faces, all while Kon looked on at Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Shakuho with an awed look of amazement.

"Well how about that…" mused Kisuke, whipping out a small fan and partially hiding his face as he looked down at Alicia's new wakizashi. "And here I was thinking I had given you an impossible task, Alicia-san."

"I guess we all underestimated her power," added Shigeryu as he sat down to rest from the journey. "I still don't know what it is; something deep in her soul resonates with others…" While Shigeryu thus pondered, Shakuho held his stance, keeping silent as he glared untrustingly at his former foe.

"Her name is Elizabeth," said Alicia gleefully, her visage pleasant and content, pulling out the wakizashi from its scabbard and showing it to the group. "She is quite beautiful, and she promised to…" Without explanation Alicia's speaking stopped, her eyes widened as she stared unblinkingly at Yoruichi who looked back confusedly.

"Um, Alicia-san?" asked Yoruichi, her appearance getting more baffled by the send as Alicia continued her uncomfortable stare.

"I…I…" stammered Aiseki's wife. "This isn't me…" With a brief flash Alicia's body lurched backwards as a hazy blue human shape emerged from her body, and in a fraction of a second this haze took the form of a tall, astonishingly beautiful blonde woman dressed in a fine Celtic dress of silver and blue.

"You!" growled the zanpakuto Elizabeth, glaring menacingly down at Yoruichi who still sat upon the ground. Behind Alicia attempted to regain her footing and composure, but as she did so a wakizashi appeared in Elizabeth's right hand.

"Elizabeth! No!" cried Alicia. "She's our friend…"

"Kisaki…" muttered Elizabeth, her gaze not leaving Yoruichi's electric yellow eyes. "My former mistress, Kisaki Shihoin. You who stole away my heart so long ago…to think you would still be alive." Elizabeth then raised the wakizashi in preparation to strike, her emotions completely overwhelming her senses, but before she could drop the strike Alicia grabbed her shoulder and arm from behind.

"This is not Kisaki," said Alicia calmly, her composure now fully regained. "Her name is Yoruichi." Below, Yoruichi slowly stood and began to approach Elizabeth, the zanpakuto's eyes now widened further with fear.

"Kisaki Shihoin isn't a name we of the Shihoin clan speak of with any fondness," said Yoruichi softly, now standing only a few feet before the radiant blonde zanpakuto. "If what you say is true, then you were likely the zanpakuto of my ancestor. I can't blame you for thinking I was her, though. I've been told by the oldest members of my clan that I am nearly a mirror image of her." Elizabeth felt her spirit calming as Yoruichi said these words, and even she herself began to think clearly again.

"Yes…" said Elizabeth softly, her eyes now brimmed with a several tears. "But your eyes are kind and warm; hers were so dark and evil at the end…I could barely stand to look into them. Please, forgive me…"

"So exciting!" exclaimed Kisuke inappropriately, stopping all communiqué between the group and earning quite a few unkind stares. "This is quite amazing history, but Elizabeth now is one with Alicia-san, and of course, they need to train together." Behind him, it appeared the commotion had awoken Tessai and the children, and as such the three were slowly getting up amidst yawns and stretches.

"Training?" asked Alicia. "What kind of training?" Kisuke smiled and looked at her with a mischievous look from beneath his green and white hat.

"Combat training," he said wryly. "Since I'm sure our time is very limited, we will begin immediately. Prepare yourself, Alicia-san!"

--

Upon the top of a tall tree in the dense forest west of Rukongai, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad Twelve appeared, standing delicately upon the weak, topmost limbs and branches. His orange eyes peered out across the vast treetops before him with a curious scowl upon his painted face. Since his discovery of the stranger back on the grassy hill he had traveled quite a distance, some ninety or so miles by his estimate, but judging by the speed of his prey he should be very close by now. Once again Kurotsuchi pulled out the strange set of binoculars and looked through them; it did not take long for him to locate the intruder this time, however, and as such he spent more time observing this strangely dressed individual with far improved resolution.

"Hmm…" mused Kurotsuchi as he watched the man far away in the distance as he ran through the trees, the strange binoculars all but eliminating the obstruction of plant matter to his view. "He's dressed a lot like that Quincy boy…" Surely enough, the man he observed was dressed all in white, with handsome, shoulder length hair and a determined look upon his face as he ran, though seemingly no faster than a normal human.

"Pff!" spat the captain. "He has no significant power at all! He isn't even worth my time! I feel so foolish for coming all this way to find such a worthless, boring piece of…wait. What is this?" Kurotsuchi changed his attention from the man's face to his right hand which was covered by a white glove.

"That is interesting…" he said slowly. "Switching to spectral analysis protocol fourteen…" Inside the binoculars the view changed from regular visible light to a grainy resolution, changing everything seen to a bland, lifeless grey – except for the man's right hand, which was surrounded with a hazy, slightly more intense grey mingled with brief, narrow streams of white.

"My, my, that might be interesting…" Kurotsuchi then reached behind his white captain's cloak and pulled out what looked like an unusual cellular phone. "Nemu! Nemu pick up!"

"_Yes, Mayuri-sama?_" answered a woman's voice through the speaker. "_What can I do for you?_"

"I'm sending a series of curious spiritual readings from my scope to my computer," replied Kurotsuchi. "Run an analysis and tell me if we have any information on it."

"_Yes, Mayuri-sama,_" replied Nemu.

Back in Sereitei, in the Bureau of Technological Development, Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant and second in command of the Twelfth Squad moved quickly into Captain Kurotsuchi's laboratory and switched on the monitor to his massive, organ-like computer.

"_Is it there yet?_" asked the Captain impatiently through an identical communicator in Nemu's possession.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," she replied humbly, her voice almost free of any emotional inflection. Below her fingers began to type at blinding speed across the numerous keys, a flurry of images and messages flashing before her complacent eyes. For several minutes this continued, until at last the screen held motionless. A small, slight scowl appeared above Nemu's eyes, and she drew a breath to speak.

"There is no entry in your database for this particular wavelength and frequency," she said plainly. "However, the signal was fairly easy to correlate to existing information. It seems that the signal you are detecting is a highly amplified emittance vibrating with the same frequency and wavelength as regular living spirit matter."

Back upon the treetop, Kurotsuchi lowered the scope and scratched his left temple with his inordinately long middle fingernail.

"That is indeed curious…" he said. "Nemu, maintain communication with my detection units in case anything else comes up, but do not communicate unless I initiate."

"_Yes, Mayuri-sama. I will be monitoring._" With those words the communicator became silent and Kurotsuchi replaced it back into his cloak.

"His right hand…" said the captain inquisitively. "Emitting a strong signal at the same frequency as the matter of a living spirit…I suppose I should go in for a closer look; after all, it is unlike anything I have seen before, so perhaps, in the end, he would make a good test subject." Finally he put the scope away, and with a blur he vanished.

--

The man in white ran steadily through the heavily shadowed trees, his regal clothing remaining immaculate despite occasional contact with the foliage. For a moment he stopped and held his position, looking from side to side as if searching for some hidden object in the trees surrounding him.

"I was hoping I would be closer to Sereitei…" he mumbled to himself. "But in the grand scheme of things, this is nothing." With that the man smiled and continued his flight alone through the woods, but he did not get far before he felt a strong spiritual presence approaching him. Before him through the trees he saw a small meadow appear, and without hesitation he darted off and entered into it, the morning sun now peeking over the treetops ahead of him.

"So, I guess the first question would be, who are you?" asked a nasal, cruel voice from ahead, but the sunlight hid all but the figure's outlined shape from the man's view. "But then again, considering the gravity of the situation we are in, perhaps this would be a good time to slash first, ask questions later." The figure then stepped closer to the man in white, drawing a long, beautiful katana from a hilt tied at the front of his waist. With a few more steps, Captain Kurotsuchi came into full view of the man in white, a cruel smile upon his eccentric painted face, his orange eyes alive with excitement below his veritable mane of blue hair.

"You are a captain of Sereitei I take it?" asked the man in a melodious, charming voice. "This is the first time I've had the honor of meeting one of you face to face. I am Ryojin Valhalla, the Viajante." Ryojin then gave a brief bow, all while Kurotsuchi looked onward excitedly.

"I'm the first one to find you, you know," said the Captain. "I will promise that I will not kill you; I simply wish to study some of your more curious aspects. Please, come with me freely, and do not hesitate nor resist. I guarantee very few the comforts in being my research subjects, but if you come along quietly, I can safely say that you will spend at least a few months alive, and I won't turn all of your body into a pulp. What do you say?" Ahead, Ryojin did not break eye contact, his face frighteningly consistent and content, a smile upon his lips that was both kind and overwhelmingly cruel at the same time.

"Words…so meaningless at this point," replied Ryojin insultingly. "From your appearance, I would say you are the Captain of Squad Twelve, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. I found you to be the most intriguing of the captains when I studied you before my quest began, but now at this juncture you have but one purpose alone for me."

"Oh?" asked Mayuri overtly curiously. "That is the first time someone has spoken so rudely to me since that Quincy boy… I have made my decision – I will not take you back alive. I will kill you here and research your corpse back in Sereitei!"

"Please, do not struggle," said the Viajante, removing the white glove from his right hand. "It will be over more quickly if you just relax." With that Ryojin thrust his right hand forward in Mayuri's direction, but nothing happened. Instead, Mayuri looked onward with a confused looked on his face, his head cocked to the side and his katana resting upon his shoulder.

"So that strange aura around your hand isn't just a coincidence?" asked Kurotsuchi. "However, it seems like whatever you thought would happen isn't, am I correct?" Ahead, Ryojin lowered his hand and frowned.

"It is not what I expected, certainly," he said calmly. "No matter, though; you are still one of my targets, and regardless you will succumb to my quest, my holy mission."

"You and the Hollows, so arrogant!" laughed Kurotsuchi mockingly, now holding his zanpakuto vertically downward directly in front of his face. "No matter how many times it is said, no one can muster the power to defeat me, Mayuri Kurotsuchi! Now, prepare to disappear, Ryojin Valhalla! Kakimushire, Ashisogi Jizo!"

**Next chapter: FIRST STRIKE – THE BATTLE FOR SOUL SOCIETY BEGINS**

**BONUS!** Yeah, I'm thinking of canning the funny bumper idea. I'm just not that good at writing comedy. On another note, I have been selected by a group of roaming aliens from a planet named Kornholio to host an intergalactic beauty pageant/improv comedy show. I'm fairly excited, though my wife thinks it's too early for me to do something of this magnitude.

Oh, and sorry about the delay on release – it's been hectic the last two weeks, and this chapter was excoriatingly difficult to write…which is also why it's a little shorter than the others. As always, please direct all complaints to the vagrant who panhandles next to the drive-thru exit at your nearest McDonalds. Thank you.

_Note: This is a rarity for me to post here first. NW is freaking out right now, so if you're a whistle blower and notice it here and not there until a few days from now, be at peace._


	20. Chapter 19: First Strike

**CHAPTER 19: FIRST STRIKE**

"Kakimushire, Ashisogi Jizo!" said Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi with a demonic grin. Before his face his zanpakuto began to change shape from an ordinary katana, morphing, melding, and melting into a gold colored mass with three zigzagging prongs, one in place of the original blade with the other two at thirty-degree angles beside the center blade. After a very brief moment the gold mass took a definitive shape, looking unmistakably like an oversized head of a sleeping baby, a strange purple humour drifting gently from its partially opened mouth.

"Ashisgi Jizo…" contemplated Ryojin, his confident and cool façade unwavering at the sight of Kurotsuchi's shikai. "My research indicated it is a zanpakuto unlike any other; truly it is amazing to see it in person. Actually, this is my very first time facing a zanpakuto in general."

"That is unfortunate," replied Kurotsuchi nasally. "Very few have ever witnessed my zanpakuto and lived, each of those possessing remarkable spirit power. You, on the other hand…" With a blur Kurotsuchi vanished from his position several meters away from Ryojin and leaving his view, only to have his voice whisper into his ear from behind along with a heavy wave of spirit pressure that caused the air around them to vibrate.

"You're like an infant to me."

Ryojin turned around quickly, his visage distressed and his eyes opened wide in shock as Kurotsuchi's blade slashed downward. The Viajante jumped back just in time, however awkwardly, and Kurotsuchi's blade slashed through nothing but air as Ryojin stumbled and rolled to a stop on the ground before quickly getting up.

"You're fast…" said Ryojin in an understated voice. "Is that what you call shunpo, or 'flash step'?"

"For someone with so little spirit pressure you know a dangerously large amount about us," said Kurotsuchi, preparing once again to attack. "But before you die, I am curious – where are you from?"

"What does it matter?" asked Ryojin, wiping a small patch of dirt and grass that was stuck to his cheek from his fall earlier. "You will soon be out of this life; such worries are pointless at this point."

"Again, you are arrogant, but only in idiocy," grumbled Kurotsuchi, again vanishing into a shunpo and reappearing instantly in front of Ryojin, the captain's zanpakuto already in motion. This time, however, it seemed Ryojin could not avoid the attack.

"GYAH!" cried out Ryojin Valhalla in agony, his head raised in pain and his eyes squinted tightly. Below Ashisogi Jizo's three blades cleanly penetrated Ryojin's body, a red mark like blood appearing at each entry wound. Not a second later Ryojin began to fall limply and Kurotsuchi retracted his sword, noting how easily it seemed to enter and leave Ryojin's body, and the Viajante fell lifeless onto his chest on the ground.

"Your spirit is so weak…" observed Kurotsuchi in an indifferent, nasal tone. "I could cut through you like warm butter. I'm starting to have second thoughts about testing on you; I don't think you could handle a single experiment before your body would fall apart. As such I will dismember you here and run some field tests before reporting to Yamamoto…"

"_Mayuri-sama!_" called out a muffled voice from within the captain's cloak, and Kurotsuchi gave an annoyed sigh as he reached in and pulled out the small communicator.

"Yes, what is it, Nemu?" he replied coldly. "Though I seem to recall telling you not to contact me…remind me to reprogram your obedience processor when I get back."

"_I have done a more comprehensive test on the readings you sent me,_" continued Nemu through the communicator. "_It appears that the signal is predicted to have a resonant effect upon spirit matter with which it comes into contact._"

"It causes spirit matter to vibrate?" asked Kurotsuchi, now scratching his chin with curiosity.

"_Yes, Mayuri-sama. In addition a deeper resolution shows that the wave is an order of magnitude stronger a few millimeters around the emitter._"

"Emitter?" said Kurotsuchi with an air of excitement. "You mean to tell me there is something inside this man's hand? How unfortunate I have incapacitated him then; no matter, I will cut off his hand and return to the laboratory to extract and examine it."

"_Very well, Mayuri-sama._" With that Kurotsuchi moved to replace the communicator, but before he could his body was given a powerful jolt mingled with searing pain erupting from both sides.

"What…the…?" gasped the captain, turning to see two individuals dressed like shinigami at either side of him protruding out of reddish-tinted shadows, both with their zanpakuto piercing him and holding him in place as blood poured out from the wounds in his sides.

"Captain Kurotsuchi…" said the shinigami on his left, a lovely, heavily tattooed woman with black hair and violet eyes. "It has been quite some time." The bald, black-eyed man on his right said nothing, but his massive, muscular body and almost demonic appearance was imposing and intimidating enough for words to be moot.

"Who are you…?!" growled Kurotsuchi, sweat now pouring down his painted face as the pain began to grow from the normally fatal attack.

"Fu, and Toriko," replied the woman. "Servants of God, our Master Viajante."

"My, this is painful!" exclaimed Kurotsuchi, his eyes rolling back into his head as though the pain were erotic in sensation. "But surely you two know that my spirit can't be killed with an attack like this…" Kurotsuchi stopped immediately, his voice quivering as he noticed Ryojin now standing directly in front of him, not a single bloodstain upon his perfect, white raiment, his right hand now pressed against Kurotsuchi's chest

"Their job isn't to kill you, it's to hold you," said Ryojin in a comforting tone, his hand feeling to Kurotsuchi as though it was grasping something within his soul itself. "Your glaring weakness is that you cannot think past what your sensors detect. You think you are all seeing, yet in reality you are completely blinded to the real truth. If only you looked further, beyond that which is logical, past the confines of your supposed reality, there is a great chance you would find out what the real truth is." Mayuri raised his zanpakuto at these words to strike down the man before him, but before he could slash his arm fell to the ground with a spray of blood, Ashisogi Jizo still clenched in his fingers.

"How did you…?" gasped Kurotsuchi, wincing at the pain of being disarmed, but Ryojin closed his eyes softly and shook his head.

"I have a zanpakuto just like you," said the Viajante. "Mine allows me to open dimensional portals of varying shape and size, and what you thought were blood stains were really the red haze that surrounds the edges of these portals. Likewise, by creating a void inside your arm I was able to cut it off without a blade. But at this point there is no more I will tell you. Do not worry, though; I promise it won't be long." With those words he retracted his hand, Fu and Toriko simultaneously withdrawing their swords from the captain's body, and Kurotsuchi fell dead to the earth, a look of confusion, horror, intrigue, and shock all melded into one upon his lifeless face.

"That went better than expected," observed Ryojin, finishing brushing off some dirt from his white clothing as his two servants replaced their katanas. "Though I am surprised at how soon Soul Society responded…" Ryojin trailed off as he heard a static whine coming from Kurotsuchi's cloak. Ryojin bent down and fished around the fallen captain's raiment until at last he pulled out the communicator.

"Mayuri-sama?" asked Nemu into the intercom back in the Bureau of Technological Development in Sereitei. "Mayuri-sama, please respond. I have done a third analysis, and…"

"_Is this a shinigami of Sereitei?_" asked a man's voice, most definitely not Mayuri. Nemu gasped as she listened to this stranger's voice, her manufactured heart pounding.

"Who is this?" asked Nemu, her typical stony tone now replaced with a rare, unusual angst. "Where is Captain Kurotsuchi?"

"_I am the Viajante,_" replied Ryojin through the communicator. "_And your captain has perished by my hand._"

"What?!" cried out Nemu. "You're lying! Where's the Captain!? I just spoke with him moments ago!"

"_I assure you, my dear, I am not being deceitful,_" replied Ryojin, drawing a tear in Nemu's eye. "_I'm sure you can see very clearly using your instrumentation that Captain Kurotsuchi's life signs have vanished. Now, be a good girl, and relay this information to your superiors. I recommend sending out all your greatest warriors, lest Soul Society fall._" A click sounded through Nemu's speakers, and from then on the communicator was silent.

"Mayuri…sama…" whimpered Nemu, but without hesitation she stood up from Mayuri's computer and left the laboratory. Not a single word left her lips as she ran through and out from the Bureau, despite the many attempts from her fellow shinigami to elicit information. With tremendous speed she then vanished into shunpo, leaping over dozens of buildings and streets with each step, her destination fixed – Squad One barracks.

_Mayuri-sama…_

--

In Squad One barracks, the scene was still and serene; whereas elsewhere in Sereitei, the Court of Pure Souls, where panic and pandemonium had ensued after the disappearance of the Mortal World, here Captain-Commander Yamamoto could sit and ponder in silence and solitude. Indeed, this matter required this condition most fully, as such an event had never occurred before in the history of known existence.

The tragedy had fallen upon the shinigami with such rapidness that few could comprehend it, even a day after the Senkai gates failed to open. True, no shinigami had been permitted to venture into the mortal world when the spirit wind that kept the worlds alive stopped, but frequent, standard checks of the pathways to the Mortal were still conducted. Once, however the mystery of the non-functioning gates had been elucidated upon by the scientists of Captain Kurotsuchi's Bureau of Technological Development, the fear of impending doom swept all – all, of course, except for the captains and their lieutenants. In these mighty shinigami, even staring death in the face could barely conjure a drop of sweat; although in this end they now found themselves in, nerves were definitely high.

In this light, Captain-Commander Yamamoto had secluded himself to his chamber high in the towers of Central Sereitei, a massive complex of maze-like alleys and streets, bafflingly tall towers, all a testament to the solitude, grandeur, and majesty that Sereitei represented in an otherwise unruly world. An aged and ancient spirit, Genryuusai Yamamoto was one of incredible strength and agility despite his few words and frail appearance. His long, braided beard hid his mouth and chin and dangling down near his waist, thus hiding his emotions from many with weak spiritual detection, and his wooden cane stood not only as a reminder of his elderly wisdom, but of his commitment to continue on through any travail. Yamamoto struck fear into the hearts of all shinigami, but, at the same, he was their hero in every regard. On this sunny, nearly cloudless morning, Yamamoto pondered deeply the paths he would take in earnest, and would have continued to do so were it not for the sudden interruption of a faint, sorrowful woman's voice.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto…" called out the woman through the wooden lsiding doors to his pavilion. "This is Nemu Kurotsuchi of Squad Twelve. I have a matter of urgency to speak to you." Yamamoto opened his eyes and slowly lifted his head before grunting out a low, deep reply.

"Enter!" he called out, and the sliding door opened. Nemu did not hesitate to step before Yamamoto, where she instantly fell to her knees in obeisance, her head hung so low that Yamamoto could not see any of her features.

"Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was killed earlier this morning far in the western forest," she began bluntly, though in her programmed, seemingly perfect voice, twinges or horrific sorrow pierced through her attempts at calm speech. "The man who defeated him did so with great speed…"

"Who gave Captain Kurotsuchi permission to leave Sereitei in this time of emergency?" interrupted Yamamoto.

"No one did, Captain-Commander…" replied Nemu. "I did not attempt to stop him; I will deactivate myself and destroy my gigai to atone for this deed." Yamamoto closed his eyes to a squint again and gave a short grunt.

"Lieutenant, that will not be allowed," he said commandingly. "It seems that questioning his motives at this point is worthless. However, Captain Kurotsuchi is a shrewd one; I take it you have information regarding his killer?"

"Yes, Captain-Commander," replied Nemu, now standing back up and facing Yamamoto, her face awash in distress for her lost father and captain. "He called himself The Viajante, and he is able to completely mask his reiatsu to a degree we have never seen; Mayuri-sama had to use common surveillance to track him. He requested we send out all our greatest warriors to stop him; I can only assume he meant for the captains to meet him in battle." Yamamoto didn't immediately reply, instead digesting with intensity each of Nemu's words, though few they were.

"Call for all captains to come to a mandatory emergency meeting," commanded Yamamoto to Nemu. "And arrange for all vice-captains to be prepared to be briefed – Soul Society is at war."

"Yes, Captain-Commander Yamamoto," agreed Nemu with a bow, and with a blur she vanished, leaving Yamamoto again alone.

"Viajante…" he muttered to himself under his breath. "I've heard that name before…"

--

_"But Captain-Commander, I must find him!" shouted a much younger Shakuho Hitokage, third seat of the Eighth Squad and adopted father of Aiseki Kennomichi. Though gray-haired even at this point, Shakuho stood tall and commanding even as he stood angrily before Yamamoto and the other captains in the tall, dark chamber. "I was sworn to his protection, and if you allow me to go to Earth I will…"_

_"Absolutely not!" growled Yamamoto, pelting the ground with the end of his long, winding cane. "I will not allow you to forego your post under the Eighth Squad. I am quite sure Captain Kyouraku shares my sentiment."_

_"But Captain…!" started Shakuho again, but this time Kyoraku, the flamboyant, girl-chasing captain of Squad Eight interrupted beneath his large straw hat._

_"Shakuho, you heard Yama-jii," he said softly, causing Shakuho to immediately become silent. "There are a lot of shinigami stationed all over the Real World – I'm sure Aiseki will turn up eventually…"_

_"He is an orphaned, dangerous boy," added Soi Fon, captain of Squad Two, a short, petite warrior with intense dark eyes, short, bowled hair and a frightening demeanor for a female shinigami. "Even under your command, he still made people uncomfortable.  
We should consider it a blessing that he is gone; perhaps now the people will calm down now."_

_"I am inclined to disagree," interjected another captain, this a regal, handsome dark-haired man in glasses named Aizen Sousuke, captain of the Fifth Squad. "While he may have frightened a great deal of the more superstitious element, his abilities in combat and spiritual control are well beyond that of a normal shinigami. It would be a terrible loss to lose someone of Aiseki's caliber. After all, he has the potential to become a captain in my opinion."_

_"All good sentiments," stated Yamamoto, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "But it is treason to abandon your squad for personal reasons, and Central 46 does not spare the death penalty for those who do so. Great danger can occur not only to the disobedient shinigami, but to all mortals that come into contact with them. I cannot allow you to take this action, Third Seat Hitokage, but I will have the roaming squads in the Mortal World keep their eyes open for him. Meeting dismissed!"_

_Without hesitation the twelve captains filed out of the room silently, and after a few moments Yamamoto found himself alone with Shakuho, the latter staring at him with a mixture of anger and defeat._

_"I will not concede," said Yamamoto plainly in an attempt to dissuade Shakuho, but the Third Seat responded in a different manner than expected._

_"I am concerned about something Aiseki told me when we first met," said Shakuho softly. "A man appeared before him shortly after Aiseki's death on Earth, a man who called himself The Viajante, and this man told Aiseki that he had a plan in store for him. Since hearing that story, my heart has not been at ease for even a moment; to make matters worse, Soul Society has no record of the type of communion this Viajante had with Aiseki, nor did that moniker appear in any relevance in our databases. I am concerned this person has kidnapped Aiseki, for purposes unknown."_

_"My hands are tied, Shakuho," said Yamamoto. "Tragic, yes. It is a terrible tragedy to lose a child like Aiseki, but it would only become more tragic should you betray your captain and comrades."_

_"Just remember that name, Captain-Commander," retorted Shakuho, now turning and exiting the room himself. "Viajante…should you hear it again, I am sure something terrible will be associated with it." With those words Shakuho vanished into the __dark shadows__ of the outer halls, never to be seen again in Soul Society._

**Next chapter: SHIKAI**

**BONUS!** Testing…testing…

Wonderful smells permeated the house of Kukaku Shiba as her large, intense bodyguards prepared a fine meal for her and her brother's gang.

"I suppose we should give thanks," said Kukaku in her usual diabolically-revealing outfit that accentuated her already overflowing chest. Around her Ganju, her brother, and his gang all lowered their heads in silent prayers of gratitude, and Kukaku drew a breath to speak.

"I am thankful for a wonderful home and fantastic servants," declared Kukaku with a strong voice. "Of the hundreds of times I've destroyed the old ones in rage and rebuilt, this definitely is my favorite." After she finished they were met by an awkward silence, during which Kukaku flashed a deathly look towards her brother Ganju, his unfortunately ugly face already stuffed with turkey.

"MMMFF!" he gurgled and he rapidly swallowed a mouthful of food. "Hey, Sis, you're the greatest sis ever! And my boys, I couldn't ask for a better gang of hoodlums than yourselves." Every one of his friends then blushed and turned away, but as they did so a tear came to Ganju's eye.

"What is it, Big Brother?!" gasped one of his henchman, but no sooner did he ask than Ganju burst out in tears.

"And…and I'm so thankful…for…foh'…ITSYGO!!!" wailed Ganju, his tears streaming down his face as he wept and ate at the same time. "I m-miff hib toe mush…I dus wan' oo kick hish ash wunsh mo'…" Across from him, Kukaku's shoulders dropped and she gave a heavy sigh.

"If you're going to keep whining, at least do it properly."


	21. Chapter 20: Shikai

**CHAPTER 20: SHIKAI**

"GAH!" cried out Alicia Anders as she flew the air, landing hard upon the grassy meadow, a plume of plant matter thrown up into the air from her impact, and her wakizashi zanpakuto flying out of her hands. Beyond her Shakuho Hitokage, his chest still wrapped in fresh bandages, glared disappointedly at her with his flamboyant, long red-handled zanpakuto in hand. Off to the left a ways off Kisuke Uruhara and Shigeryu both shook their heads depressedly.

"Not good enough!" called out Shakuho sternly. "Get back up and come at me again! I'm wounded so gravely, yet you can't even make me flinch!" Alicia tepidly arose, brushing off a small streak of blood off her lip. She then raised Elizabeth and ran at Shakuho, screaming an unfortunately humorous battle cry as she charged.

"Still not good enough…" muttered Shakuho, and seemingly without effort Alicia once again was sent flying, meeting a similar fate as before.

"W-What am I doing wrong?" whimpered Alicia, getting up to one knee but wincing as she held her right arm.

"Everything!" shouted Shakuho coldly. "You form is too rigid! Your strikes are too weak! You have no emotion behind your attacks!" Alicia felt her body tremble as she heard these words, sorrow sneaking into her soul.

"I-I'm sorry…" she started, but Shakuho wouldn't have any of it.

"In order to fight and win, one needs to dispose of the fear of hurting another," stated Shakuho, stunning Alicia and gathering her complete attention. "If you want to win, you have to let go of this fear! You cannot be afraid to hurt me! You have to attack me with the intent to kill me, nothing wavering! Unless you do this your enemies will always gain the upper hand!"

"Y-yes…" stuttered Alicia, after which she gave a quick bow, gripped her sword, and charged again at Shakuho.

"It's only been two hours…" observed Shigeryu, his wild-looking appearance somewhat sated as he watched Shakuho and Alicia battling in the distance. "But she seems to be making a lot of progress, doesn't she Kisuke? Kisuke??" Shigeryu turned to look at Kisuke, whose eyes were gazing unwavering at Alicia in the distance. In them Shigeryu could see only a deep concern, almost fear, and upon noticing this the former henchman of the Viajante gulped audibly.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed…" said Kisuke softly, almost under his breath.

"Notice what?" asked Shigeryu, but Kisuke's gaze did not change.

"Since coming to Soul Society, something has felt strange about that woman…" continued the shopkeeper. "At first I thought it was nothing, but…" Beyond Alicia gave another battle yell and slashed at Shakuho, their two swords meeting with a mighty clash of steel.

"I've though that she had a strange way of reaching a person's heart," said Shigeryu after a moment. "When she brought me here, and when she spoke to me, it felt like she was directly affecting my spirit just with her words…but I didn't think anything of it, just that she is good with empathy."

"And indeed she is," replied Kisuke. "She would have to be in order to convince a zanpakuto to blindly join and follow her…but even that is something beyond a human's sympathetic ability."

"So you're saying she isn't human?"

"No, she definitely is just a human," continued Kisuke. "But stop and feel her spirit for a moment…" Kisuke and Shakuho both closed their eyes and stood silently as Alicia continued gaining confidence in fighting against Shakuho with her wakizashi. First came a battle cry, this more confident than the others, then the clash of steel, and it was then that Shigeryu felt it.

"What is that?!" he gasped, his eyes flying open. Next to him Kisuke opened his eyes slowly and took a deep breath, his face shadowed underneath his green and white hat.

"Whenever she exerts herself emotionally it seems to leak out," said Kisuke after a moment. "I think that when she witnessed her husband dying it broke loose, which is why I didn't notice it when she first arrived at my shop."

"This reiatsu…" observed Shigeryu breathlessly. "It's like a hollow…"

"That's what I thought at first," corrected Kisuke. "But pay attention to it again. It isn't the same quality and feel as a hollow, but I'm sure that, with time, it may become that."

"But it seems so much more chaotic…" said Shigeryu, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "This is beyond even a Menos…"

"It is intense like a Vasto Lorde's reiatsu, but at the same time completely different," continued Kisuke. "While standing here, I have tried analyzing it, but it seems to be a unique phenomenon, something completely isolated to her spirit."

"But what could have created something like this inside of her?"

"That's what I would like to know," replied Kisuke. "But, it would appear that her soul is unconsciously restricting this negative nature, and possibly even feeding off from it and using it for good."

"So her soul does have a hidden power?" asked Shigeryu, but Kisuke didn't immediately respond. "Kisuke?"

"I don't know," he replied after several moments. "Let's hope nothing comes of this." Kisuke was silent from then on, instead focusing on the battle ahead.

Alicia gave another cry and slashed at Shakuho, though this time he actually had to dodge her well-timed and accurate strike. The former third seat leapt back, leaned over in discomfort from his chest wound for a moment, and placed his sword back in its hilt and smiled.

"Good," he said approvingly. "I would like to teach you proper fighting technique, obviously, but time is too short for that. Instead we will focus on the basics and hope for good luck." Alicia's shoulders dropped and her lovely face instead became annoyed.

"These guys destroyed the world, and you're just teaching me the basics?" asked Alicia. "What makes you think someone like me can handle them?! I can barely fight as it is!"

"Actually you've done quite well," countered Shakuho. "It took days for your husband, Aiseki, just to get me to step back while fighting; yet here you have done the same in a matter of two hours. Granted, I am severely weakened still, and your intent to kill could use a lot of work, but you seem born to be a warrior; it is peculiar indeed since you are just a normal human…"

"Okay, so, what's next?" asked Alicia, straightening her posture again. "What's the next step?"

"Thus far you have only been fighting with your zanpakuto in its normal or base form," declared Kisuke. "You may not know this, but Elizabeth can be released further, given additional strength, power, and other abilities not normally found within a soul. When a shinigami releases their zanpakuto, the two souls begin to mix and meld, becoming a stronger being than before. This release, Alicia, is the next step."

"Elizabeth has another state?" asked Alicia curiously, looking down at her seemingly plain, though beautiful, zanpakuto.

"Two, actually," answered Shakuho. "But for now only one is reasonable. This first release is called shikai, and usually takes a shinigami quite some time to achieve and master; that said it is our hope that you will achieve this today."

"Sure," replied Alicia nonchalantly, and it was clear that this attitude bothered Shakuho.

"No, you don't understand," he said as he wiped his forehead with his hand. "This is strenuous, deep, hard training. You shouldn't be so relaxed going…"

"How about we just do this?" interrupted Alicia. "I have just watched my husband get murdered; I don't need to be lectured, and I understand fully how bad the situation is. So rather than give me the fifth degree, lets just do this, okay?" Alicia turned away from Shakuho and didn't look back, and Shakuho hung his head.

"Yeah…" he muttered. "Kisuke, she's all yours." Without another word Shakuho walked towards Shigeryu, Kisuke already walking towards him and Alicia.

"Don't take it personally, Shakuho," said Kisuke as the two passed each other. "It has been hard on all of us."

"I know," said Shakuho quickly. "Don't hurt her, okay?"

"No promises," said Kisuke with a wry smile, soon thereafter Shakuho had joined Shigeryu on the sidelines while Kisuke faced a thoroughly focused though saddened Alicia.

"You should be easier on her," said Shigeryu softly to Shakuho as the latter approached. "She's doing well anyway; I'm sure she'll learn shikai very soon." Shakuho did not reply, however; instead he passed right by Shigeryu and walked back to the makeshift camp without a word, motion, or even acknowledgement of Shigeryu's presence.

_Gee, what's his problem?_ thought Shigeryu as he gazed confusedly with his wild eyes and pointed face at his former foe. Back in the center of the meadow, however, Kisuke stood calmly before an anxious and ready Alicia, who held out her zanpakuto before her, ready to attack at any moment.

"I see the desire to fight within you," said Kisuke after a moment from behind a small fan held in front of his face. "But for this part of your crash-course training, there is to be no such thing."

"What?" asked Alicia, loosening her stance. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

"First of all, you must listen," replied Kisuke. "Please, take a seat upon the ground and relax." Kisuke himself then sat down cross-legged upon the ground, fanning his face in the cool morning air. After an awkward second Alicia followed suit, placing Elizabeth on the ground before her.

"Okay, now what?" pressed Alicia, at which point Kisuke laughed.

"Patience, patience!" he said jovially. "One usually spends years devoted to intense training to achieve what you are about to undertake. However, due to the necessity of time, we are going to attempt to do so in a matter of hours. It will likely be deep into the night before you succeed, and even that is a long shot. You see, we need as much strength as we can get if we are to stop the Viajante, and in order to up our chances we need you to unlock some of the powers held by your zanpakuto.

"Each zanpakuto has three levels: a base form, which is just a plain katana, with no real ability or special significance; a first heightened level, or shikai; and a second heightened level, or bankai. Bankai is an ultimate form of one's zanpakuto, but seriously requires great endurance and a minimum of at least three days to learn, given, of course, the proper equipment…which I will admit we do not have with us. As this is the case, bankai training will have to be neglected; however shikai training is something with at least some possibility.

"To learn this state, one must create a dialogue between one's self and their zanpakuto. So please, if you will, take your zanpakuto into your hands lightly, and relax as deeply as you can. Listen for the whispers of your zanpakuto, and commune with it." Alicia nodded and did as requested, taking her wakizashi and resting it upon her right palm and left knee as she too sat cross-legged.

The new substitute shinigami then took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her breathing becoming slow and deliberate, until slowly her muscles loosened and her heart rate slowed. In her mind a profound silence emerged, driving out all the hectic thoughts that had broken their way in, and soon she found herself sitting silently without any mental distraction.

_Alicia, it's me, Elizabeth…_ said a voice deep within her soul so still and soft, yet penetrating to the degree where every word made her spirit shake. _I know that you are in a hurry, and I know that my former master spent years learning my secrets. However, for you I am willing to help you along…but I have forgotten the names of my abilities and their declarations…_

_What should I do then?_ thought Alicia in response. _I can't possibly find them…_

_I am a part of your soul now,_ replied Elizabeth. _Perhaps you can redefine them for me…_

Alicia suddenly felt a cool breeze upon the skin of her slender and lovely face, and the sound of high, rushing wind above her. To these she opened her eyes, only to find herself sitting atop a rocky peak set high above the clouds, a ridge of mountains and peaks extending beyond and behind her endlessly. No life, no plants, nothing but rock and snow surrounded her, and after a moment of realization she noticed that in fact she was not alone. Beyond on the first, nearest peak, rising from the same summit only a few dozen yards in front of her and to the right stood a lovely blonde woman dressed in a fine, gorgeous Celtic dress of silver with a long sapphire inlay that ran from her chest to the ground.

"Welcome to my new world, Alicia," said Elizabeth with a courteous bow and a kind smile, her long, shimmering hair blowing gently through the breeze.

"Where is this place?" gasped Alicia. "Where have you taken me?"

"Where?" asked Elizabeth with a chuckle. "This is your soul, Alicia! Don't tell me you don't recognize it…"

"My soul…?" wondered Alicia aloud, now looking around more carefully. "To be honest, I never imagined it like this…"

"Perhaps, but you cannot deny that it is yours," continued Elizabeth. "And although I've only been with you for a day, I can tell you that this is indeed the inner world of Alicia Anders. You feel so lonely in you soul, all alone without anyone besides your late husband. These peaks represent this loneliness; upon your own peak you stand, only able to look across the void at others, thinking all the while that though they are likely equidistant from even others, from your vantage they all look so close and friendly with one another. Yet there you stand, alone and cold, with no family, looking out across space with a desire to be loved again, to be held and cherished by other souls…but now, Alicia, you are not alone, nor am I. Together in your soul, we shall grow and destroy the loneliness."

"I…" started Alicia, but she felt unable to speak any more words due to the lump welling in her soul.

"But now that you are here, Alicia, I shall teach you the power that we now hold together," said Elizabeth warmly, putting peace into Alicia's soul and dissipating the emotions welling up in her heart. "Now, please stand." Alicia did as told by her zanpakuto and stood up on the rocky pinnacle.

"I am ready to listen, Elizabeth," said Alicia, to which Elizabeth smiled.

"Good," replied the zanpakuto. "As Kisuke said, a zanpakuto like me can be released to higher states of existence. Don't worry, though; it does not cause me pain, and in fact I have been most anxious to show you what my former mistress and I achieved so long ago." With those words a wakizashi appeared in Elizabeth's right hand, identical in every to the one Alicia held, from the short, polished blade, the plain-looking hand guard, even to the sapphire wrappings upon the handle. Elizabeth then held the wakizashi out, her arm extended perpendicular to her body, the blade likewise perpendicularly pointed out. For a moment she stood like this…but even after thirty seconds nothing happened.

"What…what are you doing?" asked Alicia. "Nothing is happening…"

"Of course not," replied Elizabeth. "As I said before, I am now a part of your soul, and I have been exonerated and completely removed from Kisaki Shihoin's soul. As such, I no longer remember the names of my techniques, but you, my new mistress, have the power to help me by renaming them."

"Why do I have to rename them if they already have names?" asked Alicia. Beyond her Elizabeth laughed politely as though Alicia had told a joke.

"Because contrary to popular shinigami belief, a zanpakuto's techniques are not something the zanpakuto has alone, but rather they are something inherent that grows and is part of a shinigami's soul as a result of union with a zanpakuto. In other words, they aren't my techniques – they are _our_ techniques. Now then, Alicia Anders, you, like my former mistress, both have souls that, despite their unmoving appearance like this mountain, are desirous to flow freely from feeling to feeling, from state to state, much like a river of pure, clean water. With this in mind, picture your heart becoming fluid, spreading across the land however you desired. Imagine the joy that comes with this freedom, this eternal, glorious freedom, and speak the words that come not to your mind, nor your intelligence…but from the depths of your very soul."

Alicia closed her eyes and thought of the imagery presented by Elizabeth; truly it warmed and caused her soul to be overjoyed to feel so free, so fluid, and free, unbound by any barrier of sadness or grief. In her mind's eye she felt all the beautiful earth beneath her, filling the wilderness, the mountains, the valleys, the meadows, the rivers and lakes, even the whole of beauty in the earth. In this states her soul leapt with joy, and her mouth opened, from it springing the words that her heart wished to speak.

"Flow forth from the meadows green, from the mountains high, from the rivers deep. Forge out your path despite all obstacles, and proceed onward till eternity, ever pressing, ever flowing, ever filling all of nature in its beauty and glory. Flow forth, Elizabeth."

Alicia felt a cool, misty air flow past her face, and she opened her eyes with amazement. Beyond her, Elizabeth's sword had changed; no longer was it a plain wakizashi of little desire, now instead a thing of power. In place of a blade a stream of turbulent, high-speed water shot out, dispersing after several meters and giving the appearance of a twenty-foot blade of water. Elizabeth looked upon her sword with pleasant contentment and swung it around as if testing it, the long blade of rushing water following her hands as though it were a solid piece of steel.

"A-amazing…!" gasped Alicia, to which Elizabeth smiled happily.

"Thank you, Alicia," said Elizabeth with a sparkle in her eyes. "This is my first state, my shikai, and now it has a declaration. Remember those words in your heart and mind, and soon you will be able to summon it with only a few words rather than such a long, poetic phrase. Now then, let me show you the true power of this shikai." Elizabeth gave her shikai a mighty swing off to her right, and the water which had appeared to be attached to the hand guard shot off as a grand – though somewhat terrifying – arc or razor-sharp water that pierced the rocks of the mountainous landscape, shattering them and spraying them in all directions.

"Whoa…" said Alicia subtly at this display. "That's…that's…"

"What is it?" asked Elizabeth. "Surely you know what this is called?"

"I…" started Alicia, but before she could respond negatively a thought came to her. She _did_ know this; after all, Elizabeth's powers were a mixture of both of them, and as such this technique was part of Alicia's soul. "It is the Grand Arc of Elizabeth, the Uisge Báis…" these words seemed to leave Alicia's lips effortlessly, despite the fact that she had never before uttered them.

"Then so shall it forever be known," said Elizabeth happily. "I am so happy to have been found by you, Alicia Anders. Ours is truly a glorious shikai, as is the Grand Arc. But now that you have seen it, the difficulty begins. You must go back to reality and create this shikai in reality; I will be there for you, but keep in mind that our bond is still young, and as such the results may not be as you expect them to be at first. Now then, until our next engagement…" Elizabeth's shikai vanished, and she gave a long bow towards Alicia, after which Alicia closed her eyes once more.

"So, Alicia-san!" exclaimed Kisuke gleefully, startling Alicia and ridding her of the comfort she had just previously found herself in. "What have you learned in these last five hours?" Alicia's eyes sprung open with shock.

"Five hours?" she asked in disbelief, but true to Kisuke's words, the sun was already past noon, the air was warmer (though it did feel stale and lifeless, just as it had back in the real world for the previous three months, ever since the discovery of the loss of childbirth), and Shigeryu was sound asleep on the ground beyond them. "Was I really gone for that long?"

"Each soul is different from the other," stated Kisuke with a strange, inappropriate smile. "Those who are new shinigami, or just those who are new to reiatsu in general, may find that journeys into their own souls may go by far slower than real time. Nonetheless, I take it from your pleasant expression the last couple of hours that something good has happened?"

"Oh yes!" exclaimed Alicia happily, and she stood up and held out her wakizashi in the same manner Elizabeth had used earlier. "Flow forth from the meadows green, from the mountains high, from the rivers deep. Forge out your path despite all obstacles, and proceed onward till eternity, ever pressing, ever flowing, ever filling all of nature in its beauty and glory. Flow forth, Elizabeth!" Alicia waited for the blade to spray out like Elizabeth's, and her face was alight with excitement as she waited, but nothing happened. All that she held was her normal, unexciting wakizashi, and Kisuke chuckled beneath his fan.

"Looks like we still have some work, doesn't it?" he said, though to Alicia she couldn't tell whether he was mocking her or being serious.

"It's supposed to…" she started, but Kisuke cut her off.

"Don't be sad, Alicia-san," he said, his voice now comforting. "What we have asked of you would be looked upon as abusive and impossible by any other shinigami. However, we are all in agreement that you carry with you some great power, unseen and difficult at times, yes, but definitely present. We are counting on you and your power to help save Soul Society, but more than that, we believe wholeheartedly in you. So don't be discouraged, Alicia-san; after all, you have accomplished more in just a few hours than many shinigami do in decades. Now then, let your soul relax, and try again."

"Okay," said Alicia humbly, and she drew a breath to speak again, the afternoon now upon them, and time slowly, but surely, running out.

--

Yoruichi Shihoin appeared like a ghost on the meadow deep in the forests far west of Rukongai, her dark, deep violet hair shimmering in the afternoon sunlight as she peered around the scene. Earlier she had felt Captain Kurotsuchi's reiatsu suddenly appear and vanish from this area, but her hours of searching had yielded no positive results. This time, however, her search came to an end.

"Oh no…!" she gasped aloud as she saw Captain Kurotsuchi lying face down upon the ground in the tall grasses. She quickly ran to him, but upon arriving at his side it was painfully clear – he was already long dead, his body pierced and his arm cut cleanly off, still clutching his now-reverted zanpakuto.

"I'm too late…" she said softly to herself, glancing down at Kurotsuchi's body, but then the thought struck her – clearly he couldn't have been killed by blades alone. This was Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, whose body could be converted into liquid if emergency dictated. Yoruichi knelt down and observed the wounds in his sides more closely.

"These wounds have no poison in them, nor any unusual traces of reiatsu…" she observed out loud, gently probing the wounds with her fingers. "These couldn't have killed him…not with his messed up body…but it feels like his soul has been…" Suddenly her eyes widened in shock, and without a moment's hesitation she vanished once again, this time racing through shunpo back to camp as fast as she could.

_It's starting all over again…_

--

Deep in Sereitei, the court of Pure Souls, and within the barracks of Squad One of the Court Protection Squads, Captain-Commander Genryuusai Yamamoto struck the bottom of his long, curving cane hard again the floor of the shadowed, long room. He then took a deep breath and addressed the eight figures of varying shapes and sizes lined up on either side of the room before, all dressed in similar white cloaks with kanji numbers written upon their backs and diamond patterns along the hems and seams.

"Captains of the Thirteen Protection Squads!" he declared forcefully in his shaky, ancient, yet surprisingly intense and powerful voice that filled the room with a spirit pressure not often found therein. "We are at war!"

**Next chapter: THE DEMON OF SEREITEI**

**BONUS!**

"Declan! DECLAN!" called out Lucian, panting heavily as he caught up to Declan who still wore a grumpy and unpleasant look upon his face. "Declan, please forgive me! I'm sorry I lied!"

"I don't care," said Declan coldly.

"But…" pleaded Lucian, but Declan shook his head in the negative.

"I can't trust you, Lucian," said Declan. "Not after this." Lucian suddenly started fishing around his white cloak and pockets, and after a moment he pulled out several objects.

'What if I gave you this keychain heart?" he asked with a smile. "It looks just like yours, only smaller and cute!"

"No," replied Declan, turning his head and walking away.

"Or this autographed piece of parchment with Malik El-Gendy's name on it? Huh?"

"Lucian, you think I'm going to forgive you if you give me something like that?" asked Declan in an annoyed tone. "Just leave me alone…"

"What about this small, stuffed figurine?" asked Lucian, holding up the little doll in the shape of a cat-like woman. "She's all furry, see?" Declan stopped suddenly, his shoulders raised as if about to let loose a terror upon Lucian, but as he turned his eyes were far different, now looking like a puppy's.

"Furry…?" asked Declan in a meek voice.


	22. Chapter 21: The Demon of Seireitei

**CHAPTER 21: THE DEMON OF SEREITEI**

Inside the hall of the Captains of Sereitei, a moment of hushed silence overcame the nine individuals therein after Yamamoto's announcement. Although the concept of war in Soul Society was always a cause for shock and worry, this declaration seemed to confirm in everyone's mind what they had already been thinking – that the universe seemed to be falling apart around them, like an avalanche coursing down across reality leaving nothing spared.

"War, huh?" muttered Captain of Squad Eight Shunsui Kyouraku, dressed rather flamboyantly with his oversized, pink flowered cloak over his white captains' haori, his scruffy face and lazy eyes mostly hidden beneath his large sakkat, or straw hat. "So whoever got the real world is here now, I take it?"

"Hey where's the weirdo?" asked a tall man with a scarred, hard face and impeccably tied hair set in the shape of long spikes, almost as a starburst. "It's not like Mayuri to be late to these things…"

"Maybe he's busy messing around his lab?" pondered Kyouraku, stroking his beard with a shallow smile. "Don't let him hear you call him that though, Kenpachi."

"Captain Kurotsuchi has been killed," replied Yamamoto bluntly, prompting a shocked response from all in attendance. "A man calling himself the Viajante did so this morning far west of Rukongai."

"He's dead?!" gasped Soi Fon, Captain of Squad Two. "That's impossible! Captain Kurotsuchi is too powerful…"

"Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi has confirmed it," interrupted Yamamoto. "This man then requested that Sereitei's strongest warriors meet him in battle."

"Wait…" asked Kyouraku, lifting his head up so that his eyes could be seen, these now suddenly awash with concern. "What did he call himself?"

"Viajante," replied Yamamoto, upon which Kyouraku's eyes opened wide.

"The same Viajante that Shakuho spoke of…?" asked Captain Jyuushiro Ukitake, the handsome, silver-haired captain of Squad Twelve.

"Indeed, Shakuho Hitokage deserted Soul Society in search for a man called Viajante," replied Yamamoto. "We have no reason to think they are different beings. According to Nemu's information, it is likely this individual is the cause of the real world's destruction."

"Viajante? Shakuho?" asked Captain Sajin Komamura of Squad Seven, a nine-foot tall fox-like giant with piercing yellow eyes set in his regal light brown fur. "I've never heard these names before…"

"Shakuho used to be the third seat of my squad twenty years ago," replied Kyouraku. "But he went searching for his kidnapped apprentice, a boy named Aiseki. Shakuho told us again and again about a man named Viajante who he thought was responsible, and in the end he took matters into his own hand and abandoned his squad."

"So this guy has been around a while then…" mused a much younger Captain, this being Toshiro Hitsugaya of Squad Ten, with wild white hair and large, deep blue eyes. "This Viajante…is he an Arrancar?"

"I haven't been told anything that would indicate that," replied the Captain-Commander. "But he does have the ability to completely mask his reiatsu."

"So what is our plan of action?" asked Ukitake, to which Yamamoto gave a deep sigh.

"That is why we are holding this meeting," he replied. "I'm not sure what to do, considering all that has transpired…"

"Why would he ask for us to send our strongest warriors?" interrupted a faint, soft voice of Retsu Unohana, a lovely and polished woman, her long black hair tied in a weaving braid that hung down her chest. "If this man is attacking Soul Society, why the specific request? Why not attack Sereitei directly?"

"That is what is bothering me," replied Yamamoto in his gruff voice. "I would normally send two or three captains in such a case, but the fact that he is so anxious for the strongest to meet him, coupled with the speed and ease with which he killed Kurotsuchi…it is very troubling."

"Where is he?" asked Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad Eleven, his voice sounding almost giddy and very starkly contrasted from the others.

"I don't think this is the time to be acting rashly," scolded Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad Six, a royal son with sharp features and long black hair held in place with kenseikan (an intricate hairpiece). "Soul Society is in a serious predicament; we can't have captains running around on their own errand. It's unseemly…"

"That ain't what I asked," sneered Kenpachi with a devilish smile. "I asked where this Viajante guy was at, and I don't give a damn about what you or anyone else thinks, Byakuya. Now, Yamamoto – where is he?" Yamamoto didn't immediately reply, instead pondering silently in his head his next words.

"See Nemu Kurotsuchi," replied the Captain-Commander curtly. Kenpachi then smiled and flew out the door of the hall, leaving several of the remaining captains speechless.

"That barbarian…" grumbled Komamura, but Yamamoto was quick to counter.

"Captain Kurotsuchi was a scheming and calculating warrior," he said somberly. "Perhaps Captain Zaraki's wild style will do well against an enemy that can out-think Mayuri, and we should hope for his success. In the mean time, your responsibility is to organize your squads and prepare them for battle. No captains beside Kenpachi Zaraki are to leave Sereitei until ordered. Dismissed!" Without hesitation the captains all left the room except for Shunsui Kyouraku, who stood quietly with his head lowered, his hat again covering his face from Yamamoto's view.

"What is it, Captain Kyouraku?" asked Yamamoto after a moment of standing in silence.

"Just thinking…" said Kyouraku slowly, thoughtfully. "I remember how much Shakuho loved that boy Aiseki, and how sad he was when the boy disappeared. He mentioned the name 'Viajante' several times, and I know that he and Nanao-chan spent many hours investigating, but the man seemed to be a complete enigma."

"Pondering the past and its meanings is an important trait for a true warrior," replied Yamamoto. "Often answers to seemingly unanswerable questions arise through such introspection."

"I wish I knew what happened to them…" mumbled Kyouraku under his breath.

"Then find out," said Yamamoto, prompting Kyouraku to raise his head a little. "Organize your squad, then investigate what you can from the years when Aiseki Kennomichi was in Soul Society. Perhaps you will find a key to this mystery, something that will fill in the blanks of the past."

"Sure thing, Yama-jii." Kyouraku smiled and gave a courteous nod, and he too left the room leaving Yamamoto alone. The old shinigami then took a deep breath and exhaled audibly, even his breath piqued with signs of distress.

"Viajante…" he then grumbled. "'Should we hear that name again, something terrible would be associated with it'. True words, indeed."

--

Some distance away another meeting had converged, this among the thirteen vice-captains of the Thirteen Protection Squads. These too were accomplished warriors, though most had not achieved bankai, nor were their reiatsu levels near that of a captain (for the most part). However, the content was dry and depressing, and Rukia Kuchiki, a normally vibrant and peculiarly attractive girl, the adopted little sister to Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad Six, with large, dark violet eyes, bobbed hair that curled out at her shoulders, and small, very slender build walked alone out of the Vice-Captains' meeting hall with a dejected look upon her normally lovely face. Rukia had gone to the meeting as a representative from her squad Thirteen, as this squad hadn't had a vice-captain to replace Kaien Shiba since his death some time before. Nevertheless, she wished she hadn't gone.

It had been nothing more than a confirmation to the rumors leaking out little by little from the observation posts manned by Squad Twelve – the real world was gone, along with all the humans and souls within it, without a trace nor track, and that someone had snuck into the Soul Society, and had even killed a captain. Yet, despite the fairly low amount of new information (rumors had a tendency to spread quickly among the non-captain shinigami), the fact that what was rumored was now true was more a dagger in the heart for the vice-captains and Rukia included. But what caused her the most grief upon learning the truth up till now was the fact that her dear friends from Earth, namely, Ichigo, Chad, Ishida, and Inoue were missing, no one in all of Soul Society knowing of their fate.

"So have you heard the latest?" asked a young shinigami boy to another several paces away as Rukia slowly rounded a corner of the streets of Sereitei. "Apparently Squad Twelve discovered a lot of spirit energy being released in Karakura Town in the real world just before it disappeared."

"Really?" asked the other shinigami, Rukia's ears now perked and listening as she passed by. "Where at? How much?"

"Do you know Kisuke Uruhara?" continued the first, Rukia's heart thumping quite hard at the mention of his name. "It happened there they said, but there was so many involved that they are having a hard time telling who was involved." Without thinking Rukia rushed over to and grabbed the collar of the first boy's kimono, sufficiently shocking him as she stared intensely into his eyes.

"Did they say anything about Ichigo?" she asked, her voice almost sounding like a plea more than a question. "Ichigo Kurosaki…was he there?!"

"Rukia Kuchiki…!" gasped the young shinigami as he recognized the daughter of the royal Kuchiki family now assaulting him. "They didn't say anything about names, only that the spirit readings were strange. You should go see Akon and Nemu about it – they could tell you better than me." Rukia hesitated for a moment, her heart still pounding and her fear still on the precipice of overwhelming her.

"T-Thanks…" she said softly, releasing the shinigami and walking away from them. Her course had been previously her own barracks, but now she had to go to Squad Twelve's; she had to find out what had happened, no matter the security or classification, and after only a few paces she leapt into a shunpo for the Bureau of Technological Development.

--

Captain Kenpachi sped away with a devilish grin from Squad Twelve's barracks towards the western gate of Sereitei, his soul filled with excitement beyond anything he had felt before. After all, this would be the only foe he had fought that had not just defeated, but killed a captain of the Thirteen Protection Squads. Not even Ichigo Kurosaki could make that claim, and the thought of facing such an impressive enemy was almost too much for Kenpachi to keep under control.

Faster and faster he ran through the streets of the Court of Pure Souls, shinigami right and left having to leap out of his way to prevent from being bowled over as he shot through. Closer and closer came the gate, and when he reached them he ran past without a second thought or hesitation, leaving Sereitei behind him. Nothing anyone said would deter him from this grand opportunity – not Byakuya, not Komamura, not the Old Fart, no one…

"Ken-chan?!" asked a high pitch voice from directly behind Kenpachi as he ran through the slums of west Rukongai. Suddenly Kenpachi came to a stop in the dusty streets, several non-shinigami denizens of the run-down town peeking out from ramparts, windows, and alleyways as the famed Demon of Sereitei stood before them, each crying out in terror and hiding away as soon as they realized who they were seeing.

"Yachiru…" grumbled Kenpachi, lowering his gaze in disappointment. "You followed me all the way out here?" Seemingly from out of nowhere a little pink-haired girl with rosy cheeks and bright eyes popped up from behind Kenpachi's left shoulder with a huge grin upon her face.

"Yachiru sensed that you were super super excited!" exclaimed the little girl in an equally little-girlish tone. "Ken-chan found someone to play with, didn't he!?" Kenpachi didn't respond; instead his head remained lowered, as though, to Yachiru's surprise, he was unhappy to see her.

"Go back to Sereitei…" said Kenpachi in a quiet voice. "You can't come with me this time, Yachiru."

"What?!" gasped Yachiru, hopping over Kenpachi's shoulder and landing on the ground before him with a disdainful and upset look upon her youthful face. "Why can't I go too?!"

"It's too dangerous for you," said Kenpachi softly. "The guy I'm going to fight killed that weirdo Mayuri in a matter of seconds I heard, and anyone who can do that is the real deal. If he's that tough, I don't want you anywhere near hi…UMFH!" A pair of small feet suddenly lodged themselves right in Kenpachi's face, knocking him back with such force that he flew several yards before crashing upon the ground with a bleeding nose.

"Don't you dare try leaving without me!" growled Yachiru, though her growl seemed more like the yowl of a cat as her already high-pitched voice became even more shrill. Around her body came a pink glow, wisping off her shoulders like a flame, and her eyes began to glow bright yellow like the sun. "DON'T YOU EVEN DARE!!!"

"Why you little…!" grumbled Kenpachi as he held his bleeding nose, but Yachiru would not have it.

"You can't leave me!" continued Yachiru, the pink reiatsu around her growing in intensity until finally Kenpachi smiled and gave a quick laugh. "You can't leave me behind, Ken-chan! You have to take me with you!"

"Fine, if you wanna die," he said condescendingly, but Yachiru didn't react negatively. Instead, the pink waves of energy vanished, and her angry face changed instantly into a joyful smile.

"That's more like it Ken-chan!" exclaimed the curious little girl emphatically. "So, where is this bad guy?"

"Three hundred miles west of here," replied the Captain of Squad Eleven. "Deep in the Far West forests…but apparently this guy can't even use Shunpo, and he's just running by foot."

"He should be easy for Ken-chan to catch then!" said Yachiru happily, yet strangely sadistically. "Then you can kill him faster!"

"That's the idea," replied Kenpachi, leaning over and picking Yachiru up and replacing her onto his shoulders. "But you better stay out of the way when I go up against him. Like I said, this guy killed Captain Kurotsuchi of Squad Twelve – he isn't someone to mess around with, and the battle is probably going to be fierce."

"Ohhhh?" wondered Yachiru, a look of curious excitement on her face. "Is he an Arrancar?"

"Doesn't sound like it," answered Kenpachi, breaking into a mad sprint once again. "According to that Nemu chick, Mayuri said he had some weird thing going on with his hands, but that he definitely wasn't a Hollow."

"And is Ken-chan okay with that?" asked Yachiru, her tone changing drastically once again, this time to a sense of concern.

"Tch," spat Kenpachi, turning his head as though ashamed. "What are you talking about?"

"Ken-chan's been changing since his fight with Ichi-Ichi," continued Yachiru. "You've learned patience and kindness. Killing something that isn't a Hollow might be harder for Ken-chan now."

"That doesn't mean anything, idiot," grumbled Kenpachi, the building and hovels all around speeding by until at last he entered the vast forest outside the edge of the main town. "A warrior has to learn new things if he wants to get stronger. Besides, I don't care if this guy's a Hollow or not – he killed a captain, and he's makin' everyone all scared back in Sereitei. If I can stop him then I figure that'd be a good thing."

"So you're going to play hero?!" gasped Yachiru, her face becoming alive with girlish excitement. "Yay! A new game! Ken-chan is going to be a patient and kind hero now!"

"God, you're embarrassing…" grumbled Kenpachi under his breath, to which Yachiru giggled as the two sailed through the dense forests.

--

"FLOW FORTH, ELIZABETH!"

Alicia Anders' face screwed up with intensity as she shouted these words, her cheeks and forehead red with exhaustion, all while Kisuke looked onward with semi-subconscious boredom. However, the result was just the same as the last hundred or so tries – nothing. Alicia's zanpakuto made no change in shape or anything, and Alicia, her frustration now peaked, fell to her knees.

"This…is…impossible…" she said with heavy, labored breathing, sweat pouring down her face and soaking the collar of her black kimono. "I can't do it…I can't…" While Alicia knelt in this defeated state, a patterned, periodic squeak appeared and began to grow faintly louder from behind her, and she turned to find the stuffed lion Kon standing behind with a befuddled look upon his face.

"Alicia-san, whatsamatter?" he asked in his peculiarly nasal tone. "OH! You got your shikai to work?! Lemme see! Lemme see it!"

"Oh, Kon…" sighed Alicia, faking a smile. "I haven't gotten it to work yet, I'm sorry. I'll have to show you later." Alicia smiled again much more kindly, warming Kon's heart and nearly bringing a tear to his eyes until he realized that tears were beginning to flow from hers.

_So kind…so beautiful…_ thought the lion doll. "Hey, why are you crying?"

"It's been frustrating," replied Alicia, looking down at her plain wakizashi. "It's been a couple hours already, and nothing seems to be working. I thought I was doing everything right, but…"

"Hmmm…" hummed Kon, hopping over and looking closely at the blade of her zanpakuto. "HMMM…" Meanwhile, Alicia looked down at him with fascination in her eyes.

"W-What is it?" asked Alicia, ready for the grand revelation from the mysterious talking lion doll. Kon scratched his chin for a moment, quietly humming to himself before raising a single claw to the air.

"You don't have hardly any spirit pressure, that's what it is!" exclaimed the lion. "Ichigo is always intense, and I had gotten used to it, but I finally just noticed that I haven't had to push back at all since meeting you."

"I don't…have spirit pressure?" asked Alicia softly, and as soon as she did Kisuke appeared before her, staring down from beneath his green and white hat.

"Kon is right, Alicia-san," said the shopkeeper, reaching down a hand to Alicia, which she took as he helped her back up. "I didn't want to tell you in hopes that you would learn on your own, but it seems that I miscalculated your sensing abilities."

"So I can't ever do it?" asked Alicia, her voice now sounding glum, but Kisuke shook his head and smiled.

"You will," he said kindly. "After all, you do have some spirit pressure, but it seems it is hard for you to control how and when it is released. Now normally, like everything else we have done thus far, training one's self to control spiritual energy emitted from our spirits takes years of training and honing, and even captain-level shinigami still train themselves to improve. However, we are short on time, so I will give you a hint."

"A hint?" asked Alicia, to which Kisuke pulled out his fan and smiled.

"Yes," he answered. "While watching you train with Shakuho I noticed that when you exerted yourself while looking angry that energy leaked out of your soul. It wasn't much, but it seems to definitely be there to some degree inside you. I'm assuming then that if you think of something that makes you angry, and if you hold on to those emotions, you might exert enough spirit pressure to release your zanpakuto into its shikai."

"Anger?" thought Alicia aloud. "But…I don't like being angry…"

"Righteous anger can be a powerful tool for good, Alicia-san," continued Kisuke. "Now Kon, step back with me while Alicia tests my hypothesis." Kisuke quickly walked back to his previous vantage, while Kon fumbled for a moment before racing off to join him. In the meantime, Alicia stood silent, her head lowered as she thought.

_Anger…Something that makes me angry…_ To Alicia's mind came a sudden thought, a vision of Ryojin, the Viajante, smiling sickeningly as Mark fell lifeless to the ground. That smile…that disgusting, revolting smile, that display that so enraged her heart. Inside she felt something warm yet caustic welling up, spilling out form the dark corners of her soul until it filled every ounce of her being, and the words came to her lips.

"Flow forth, Elizabeth…"

Like lightning water gushed from the hilt of her wakizashi and down the blade, blasting into the ground and cavitating it for several feet, and Alicia looked down in astonishment at her shikai. Beyond her Kisuke Uruhara begin to clap and he approached her.

"Excellent, Alicia-san!" he called out joyfully. "Spiritual release is unique for everyone, and learning how to control those releases is the key to being a successful shinigami. Now then, shall we test your shikai's strength?" Kisuke then drew a sword from inside his cane, and Alicia felt confidence welling up inside her.

"Yeah," she said with a grin, and she raised her sword up to prepare for battle, but as she did the rushing blade of water vanished suddenly, instead now just a few dozen drips per second from the tip of the blade. Alicia's confidence shattered as she saw this, but Kisuke couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha! That's fantastic!" he chortled, raising his hand to his face to muffle the laugh, but at this point Alicia had had quite enough.

"Stop laughing!" she commanded with a forceful voice, and she slashed through the air to make her point clearer. As she did, however, something happened that she, nor Kisuke, expected at all. As her wakizashi slashed, the drips from the tip of the blade shot out as a thread like stream, flying at high velocity at Kisuke, who was forced to duck all the way to the ground as the razor-like strip of water flew above him, nicking of a piece of his hat and bifurcating several trees behind them before dissipating.

"I…" started Alicia, but she couldn't seem to say anything else. Kisuke got up from the ground and brushed off his overcoat before looking up Alicia, and when he did he once again smiled.

"I think you're ready," he said kindly, then turning and walking away. "Let's go back to camp, Alicia-san. Oy! Shigeryu! Wake up!" Beyond them Shigeryu, who had been sound asleep, sat up and rubbed his eyes, continuing to do so while Kisuke passed him, but as soon as Alicia passed him he spoke up.

"So, did you get it?" he asked bluntly, to which Alicia blushed a little.

"For the most part, I think," she replied, upon which Shigeryu stood up and the two headed back, Kon following beside Alicia each step of the way back to camp. After a short walk they arrived, Tessai's cooking filling the air with a curious sweet smell that made Alicia's stomach rumble.

"Kisuke says you got it!" called out Shakuho, walking towards Alicia but completely ignoring Shigeryu as he did so. "Says you got a few trees too."

"Yeah…" started Alicia, but before she could say anything further Yoruichi, the dark-skinned, violet haired woman who had left earlier in the day for reconnaissance, appeared between them all in the camp nestled in the dense forest trees.

"Yoruichi-san!" exclaimed Kisuke happily. "I'm glad you're back!" Kisuke expected a smile back from his lifetime friend, but none came. Instead Yoruichi's face held a stony, distressed look as she addressed the group.

"Kisuke, Captain Kurotsuchi was killed," she said bluntly, to which Kisuke's eyes widened and Shakuho cursed.

"Mayuri?" gasped Kisuke. "But how? When?!"

"Earlier this morning," replied Yoruichi, now sitting upon the ground cross-legged. "I thought I sensed his spirit pressure for a moment earlier in the day, and I went to investigate. Sure enough, it was him, but I was already too late."

"Who did it?" asked Shigeryu, and Yoruichi looked towards him with a look that would have made anyone lesser cringe with terror.

"It's him," she said softly, but with such intensity that it shook every bone in Alicia's body. "He took out Mayuri's soul the same way as he did Inoue, Ichigo, and the others."

"What does this mean?" asked Alicia.

"The Viajante is targeting the captains," interjected Kisuke, to which Yoruichi nodded in hesitant affirmation. "Thirteen victims in the real world…and he seeks to take thirteen more in Soul Society."

**Next chapter: THE NEXT TARGET**

**BONUS!** Sorry, nothing today (too sick to try and be funny).


	23. Chapter 22: The Next Target

**CHAPTER 22: THE NEXT TARGET**

"Thirteen…" muttered Shakuho Hitokage to himself at the advent of Yoruichi's untimely and unfortunate news of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's death. "Just like that list…you don't suppose that he's trying to destroy Soul Society the same way as the Real World, do you?" Kisuke and Yoruichi both stood silent, their expressions becoming somber, but Shigeryu, the Viajante's former henchman, raised his head and spoke.

"That is exactly what he is trying to do," declared Shigeryu boldly. "The thirteen people on the list from before were different from normal humans; they held something inside of them, something that Ryojin only could remove…some sort of key."

"And once those keys were collected the world crumbled…" mused Kisuke. "This is clearly beyond the knowledge of Soul Society…beyond anything we could imagine in fact. However, if what Shigeryu says is true, then it would have to be the case – the Viajante is trying to do the same here as he did back on Earth."

"But…" started Yoruichi, her voice tinged with doubt. "If all things are equal, then he would be searching for thirteen captains…but currently there are only ten serving. The vacancies left by Aizen, Gin, and Tousen are still unfilled."

"I don't understand his ways fully," replied Shigeryu, shaking his head. "He was very, very particular about what he would tell me about his plans. What I have been able to piece together, however, is that he was anxious to get to Soul Society, because, as he said, it would be much easier here to accomplish his goals."

"Obviously, since the thirteen captains are high profile and easy to find," suggested Kisuke. "However, Yoruichi is right – there are currently only ten captains…something that we can and should take advantage of."

"What do you mean?" asked Alicia Anders, stepping closer to the group as they stood in the shade of the forest.

"There is a chance that he may not be familiar with the current structure of the Thirteen Protection Squads," continued Kisuke. "Now, unfortunately, he has seen Yoruichi, Shakuho, and myself and likely knows of our current status…but he has not seen you, Alicia-san. You were safely hidden in the shadows back at my shop and only appeared once the Viajante could no longer see you near the end. In other words, you are the ideal candidate to be our next captain." Kisuke smiled at these words, but Alicia, still new to the workings of Soul Society, merely looked on in bewilderment.

"A…a captain?" she asked, her voice full of puzzlement. "Why would I be…I mean, why would you want me to be…?"

"It's not that you actually _will_ be a captain," continued the shopkeeper. "But we need you to pretend to be one. At this point anything to slow or distract him will be enough to make some difference, and since you have little spirit pressure – yet at the same time a powerful zanpakuto – he may fall for it, thinking instead that you are masking your reiatsu."

"That's pretty risky…" warned Yoruichi. "But…I think it might work." Yoruichi then gave a smile and a nod and walked off towards Tessai, who was still cleaning up their makeshift camp.

"Well," said Alicia slowly and cautiously. "I guess the first question I have is what squad am I apparently over? If we're going to tell this lie, we might as well have our story straight."

"Hmm…" hummed Kisuke as he scratched his chin. "Likely the next captain would be assigned based on need, and Squad Three has already had a brief but unfortunate stint with a new captain. In that case, Squad Five, or Aizen Sousuke's former squad, would be ideal. His lieutenant Momo Hinamori has had her hands full lately, so it would be the most believable to anyone with a basic knowledge of the state of Soul Society."

Alicia held her silence for a moment, mulling over what she was hearing in her mind. It seemed so strange, being so new to all this grandeur and power, being so very weak and green, yet being relied upon so heavily by these strangers she had known for barely a day and a half. Her entire world had not only been thrown upside-down in the last thirty-six hours, but also completely shattered beyond repair. Perhaps it was this notion that comforted her heart, this knowledge that no longer could nor would she return to the way she was before, this knowledge that her life from this point on was critical to the survival of billions of souls just like her…perhaps it was all this that caused her head to nod and her courage to grow.

"I'll do it," said Alicia strongly. "I will be Captain Alicia Anders of Squad Five."

"Very good," said Kisuke delightfully with a clap of his hands. "Tessai! Let's make our new captain a proper haori!" (haori is the Japanese name for the white cloak worn by captains)

"We'll have to leave as soon as you're done," added Yoruichi to Tessai, the huge, muscular, and overtly intense assistant shopkeeper.

"Yes, Yoruichi-sama," said Tessai, immediately whipping out fabric and sewing supplies seemingly out of nowhere. "I will try to do as well as Ishida-san…" Without hesitation Tessai flew into action, and within seconds and before Alicia could even register the event the haori was complete, looking perfectly made with the large kanji for "five" stitched into the back of the cloak.

"Whoa…" muttered Alicia, but Kisuke's boisterous voice interrupted the scene.

"Now!" he said triumphantly. "To the Viajante!" Kisuke held out his cane towards the trees in a nondescript way, but behind him not a soul made a movement, which thing irritated him greatly.

"We don't know where he is…" sighed Shakuho from beneath his now somewhat shaggy gray hair.

"We have to assume he's going to where the captains are," interjected Alicia, drawing all eyes to her. "Back in Japan he showed no hesitation nor fear when Mark and that Ichigo guy rushed at him. Anyone like that would likely move straight to his goal without hesitation…unless of course they came to him."

"But Yamamoto will likely lock down his forces in Sereitei once Mayuri's death is learned," observed Kisuke, his left hand scratching his scruffy chin. "With maybe one exception, all the captains will be stuck there."

"So to Sereitei then?" asked Shigeryu, to which Yoruichi nodded.

"To Sereitei…" she said softly. "Alicia, you come with me." Without a second thought Alicia found herself flying rapidly through the trees while being carried in Yoruichi's arms.

"What the…" started Alicia, but immediately her cheeks turned red. "You can't carry me! I'm too…too…"

"Nonsense," replied Yoruichi as the two sailed through the cool forest air. "You're nothing compared to Ichigo."

--

Captain Kenpachi Zaraki continued his high-speed sprint deep into the western forests, miles seeming only a few yards to his pace, a horrible, demon-like smile upon his face while the small pink-haired girl riding his shoulder laughed and smiled giddily the entire way. West Rukongai was far behind them now, not a shred of evidence of the massive, dilapidated city at all visible now to the two shinigami as they sped.

"He's gotta be close…" muttered Kenpachi with a murderous, happy tone. "Any second now…"

"Ken-chan!" shouted Yachiru, his lieutenant. "We should turn left here!"

"Left?" asked Kenpachi with a degree of disdain. "That Nemu chick said he was moving straight towards Sereitei…"

"Woman's intuition!" cried out Yachiru with a huge smile. "Left! Left!"

"Fine," mumbled Kenpachi, and immediately he turned his course due south. Meanwhile, beyond them only a few miles, Fu and Toriko, slaves to the Viajante, stood pristinely balanced upon two large conifers one hundred feet up.

"What is he doing?" asked Fu, the heavily tattooed shinigami, under her breath as she peered through one of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's spyglasses, lifted from his dead body after his defeat. "He was headed straight towards us, but now…"

"Ryojin-sama!" called out Toriko, the large, demon-like shinigami next to her. Down on the ground below, Ryojin Valhalla stepped out from the shadow of the trees and looked up with a kind smile on his gentle face.

"Yes, Toriko, what is the matter?" asked Ryojin calmly.

"Captain Zaraki has changed his course!" continued Toriko. "He's now heading south, away from us!"

"That is unfortunate…" replied Ryojin, a smile still upon his face. "But that is still all right. It's the thought that counts, seeing as how he is definitely trying to reach me. Please, Toriko, tell me – where is he now, based on our current position as an origin and Sereitei being an axial point and south being negative?" Toriko hesitated for a moment as he ran numbers through his head, but soon raised his voice again.

"Minus thirty-eight degrees, radius currently five and a half miles, velocity of a fifth-mile per second directly south!"

"Thank you, my faithful servant," said Ryojin graciously. "Both of you stay here – I will be back shortly."

"But Ryojin-sama…?!" gasped Fu, immediately leaping down from tree and bending down into a bow before Ryojin. "We cannot let you go unprotected…this is Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of Squad Eleven…he is a monster!"

"I promise you I will be fine," said Ryojin softly, placing his hand upon Fu's shoulder, eliciting an almost erotic response in the latter's façade. "But you two are not to move from this area. Do not interfere, as you two may be caught up in whatever destruction ensues." Without another word Ryojin vanished into a red haze, leaving Fu on the ground and Toriko atop the tree alone.

"Toriko, I have to…" started Fu, but Toriko was quick to rebuke.

"Do not disobey the Viajante," he scolded in a harsh, cold voice. "He is our master, and you should heed his words."

"But…" started Fu, her eyes beginning to glisten with moisture. "What if he…?"

"Believe in him," countered Toriko, his voice now less harsh and far softer, his eyes lowered. "Remember all that he has done, all those seemingly impossible tasks…could the man who did those defeat Zaraki?"

"Yes…" replied Fu hesitantly, thereafter staying silent for several moments, until at last she raised her head back up in confidence. "The Viajante is our Lord and Master; he cannot fail." With those words Fu leaped back up to the top of the tree and resumed her watch over the forest around them. Once again her spyglass found Captain Zaraki, but now she noticed that he wasn't alone, to which she let out a brief gasp.

"Yes," said Toriko in anticipation. "I noticed it too. That little girl is unusual…"

Meanwhile, approximately five and one-half miles away, Kenpachi and Yachiru came to a sudden halt as a figure dressed all in white stood calmly several dozen yards before them. Kenpachi's grin faded, and he looked down upon the newcomer in white.

"Yo…" he said with a gruff, low voice. "You're in my way."

"I hope you will forgive me," replied the man in white, his face set into a look of infinite kindness. "I am very happy to meet you, Captain Zaraki. I am Ryojin Valhalla, the Viajante." Ryojin then bowed graciously to Kenpachi, who merely looked onward with lazy curiosity.

"You know who I am, huh?" asked Kenpachi. "I see you've done your homework."

"To a degree," replied Ryojin. "I made sure to learn what I could about Soul Society before embarking on my grand quest. But to meet you…it is especially exciting for me."

"Huh?" wondered Kenpachi, raising and resting his long, chipped katana upon his right shoulder, but before he could say anything further Yachiru's large brown eyes peered over Kenpachi's left shoulder.

"Is he who we're looking for?" asked Yachiru in a high, girlish voice, sounding giddy and excited at the prospect. "Is that who you're going to kill, Ken-chan?"

"Yeah," replied the captain, to which Yachiru leapt over his shoulder and landed on the ground between him and Ryojin, the latter with a look of utmost terror upon his face.

"What is that little girl doing here?!" gasped Ryojin. "Take her away! I will not suffer a child to be harmed!"

"Huh?" asked Yachiru loudly, after which she momentarily vanished from Ryojin's view – only to reappear on his left shoulder, seated comfortably and looking into his ear. "You aren't a shinigami or a hollow…"

"GAH!" cried out Ryojin in surprise, but immediately he grabbed Yachiru and lowered her back to the ground, her face screwed up in confusion as he did so – perhaps due to her discovery, or his actions, he was not sure. "Little one, I must insist you leave this place immediately. I do not wish any harm to come upon a child such as yourself."

"Hmph!" grunted Yachiru, turning her nose snootily away from Ryojin and walking back to Kenpachi. "How rude! Ken-chan, let me stay and watch!"

"Sure, but keep your distance," said Kenpachi lackadaisically, to which Yachiru smiled and laughed as she ran off into the trees, still keeping a clear view. "Hey, Yachiru!" Yachiru stopped and peered through the brush at Kenpachi, making an inquisitive sound as she did so.

"Yes Ken-chan?"

"If I die, you can destroy him." Kenpachi then held his katana before him, his eyes not leaving the Viajante.

"Ken-chan…" whispered Yachiru to herself, her voice filled with confusion. After all, never before had Kenpachi said that to her; in fact, he had never once gone into a fight thinking he would die, and if he had, he had never shown that feeling to Yachiru. This seemed all wrong to her, and inside she felt her heart beat a little faster as she watched Kenpachi stare so intently at Ryojin.

"So, you're the guy who killed the weirdo, huh?" asked Kenpachi to Ryojin, to which the Viajante nodded.

"If you are referring to Captain Kurotsuchi of Squad Twelve, indeed, I am he who ended his life."

"Good," replied Kenpachi, the smile returning to his face. "I figured anyone who could kill that guy would be the real deal. Now then, draw your sword…" Kenpachi stopped as he observed and realized that Ryojin stood without a weapon before him.

"He doesn't have a sword?" asked Yachiru softly to herself as she made the same realization. "Ken-chan will kick his butt!"

"What's the deal?" asked Kenpachi, now sounding somewhat annoyed. "You telling me you killed the weirdo without using a sword?"

"I have my methods," answered Ryojin. "However, I do not wish to delay my quest any longer. Now that you are here as a captain of Soul Society, I will be taking your soul. After all, yours is a most glaring weakness…" Ryojin suddenly vanished in a red haze, appearing silently behind Kenpachi, and his right hand flew towards Kenpachi's back – but without warning Kenpachi's own left hand grabbed Ryojin's wrist without looking, raising his hand away from Kenpachi's body. The captain then turned his head around with a wry smile and grinned at the now shocked Ryojin, his perfect face and kind expression now gone.

"Weakness?" asked Kenpachi. "You mean how I like to let my enemy try to cut me first? Not this time. That Nemu chick told me all about your weird hands." Kenpachi then turned fully and slashed at Ryojin with his katana, and Ryojin vanished once again into a red blur. _That's some powerful technique that guy's got…but it isn't perfect._ Kenpachi looked down at his blade, noticing the red liquid dripping from the tip of the blade. Beyond him, near to where he originally stood, Ryojin reappeared, clutching the right side of his chest. His spotless white clothes were now stained with blood from the long wound extending from his navel to his right shoulder, and Ryojin breathed heavily through the pain as he looked upon Kenpachi with a surprising look of awe and appreciation.

"As I would expect from my former student," said Ryojin through labored breaths.

"Former student?" asked Kenpachi. "What in the world are you talking about now?" Ryojin gave a short laugh and stood up straight, blood still seeping from his wound into his clothes.

"You are a unique shinigami to me," continued Ryojin. "I have taught many individuals such as yourself and seen them become shinigami, but currently you are the only living shinigami that was under my specific tutelage in the world before. You were very different then; it's amazing what time can do…"

"You done bullshitting yet?" interrupted Kenpachi rudely, the bells at the ends of his hair spikes chiming as he shook his head in shame. "Seriously, why do I always get stuck with the guys who won't shut up? Hey – draw your sword or whatever and fight, otherwise I'm gonna just kill you as you are and end this whole thing right here." Ryojin didn't speak another word concerning his past at this point, instead smiling back at Kenpachi.

"Weapon, you say?" asked Ryojin, raising his arms to accentuate the fact he had no sword, axe, gun, or anything of the like. "It would appear I forgot to bring a weapon with me."

"Don't give me that crap," growled Kenpachi. "But I guess that's your answer." With frightening speed, though not a shunpo, Kenpachi leaped across the expanse between then with a smile on his face, his sword slashing at the Viajante, who instead smirked and raised his uncovered left hand.

"Jigenseisokuka," he muttered softly. "Eviscerating disc…" in front of his palm a red, circular blur appeared, rapidly gaining clarity until it became like a crimson plate, though impossibly thin. With a flick of his fingers the disc flew straight at Kenpachi, the captain now only a yard away from Ryojin and not flinching even with this projectile coming towards him. This disc then passed through Kenpachi's left shoulder like warm butter, not even hindering Kenpachi's flight though a massive spray of blood shot out of both entry and exit wounds.

"GYAH HA HA!" laughed Kenpachi through the pain, as though he was enjoying it, and he completed the slash of his katana at Ryojin, who was waiting for him.

"So predictable…" muttered Ryojin with a yawn as a long, red dimensional rift opened before him directly in the path of Kenpachi's blade – but as soon as this rift opened Kenpachi vanished from Ryojin's view, only to have the captain's voice appear from behind.

"Got you," said Kenpachi with a grin as Ryojin turned and gasped.

"Y-you can do flash steps?!" asked the Viajante frantically, but once again he found himself too slow. For the second time Ryojin vanished into a red dimensional blur, only to emerge with a new cut, this deep into his right shoulder.

"That's twice I've cut you," declared Kenpachi, whose own left shoulder was now stained deep crimson with effusing blood. " Yet you've only gotten me once, and it didn't even hurt. You sure you don't have anything more than that red crap?"

"Well…" started Ryojin, now wincing from the pain in addition to heavy breathing. "I didn't think I would have to use it; after all, I thought I knew you well enough, but apparently you have exceeded my expectations. After seeing such a prized student fall so far, and nearly lose his soul to evil, I am greatly relieved to know you've elevated yourself to be a captain of Soul Society. That alone should have told me you were different from my memory, but I didn't want to believe it. Very well, Captain Zaraki, I shall swallow my pride and reveal to you that which no one, living nor dead, has ever seen. Be honored, Kenpachi."

"Fine, whatever," grumbled Kenpachi. "Just quit yapping away and get this thing started." Beyond him, Ryojin released his wounds and raised his uninjured left arm into the air, and with a smile and a calm voice he uttered words that both excited and concerned the captain of Squad Eleven.

"In the darkness, thou art lord. In the weakening shadows, thou dost reign with strength. All thine enemies fall to pieces before thee, and the void is thy kingdom forever. Swallow up the world, Jigenseisokuka!"

With a powerful wave of wind and dust Ryojin became hidden from Kenpachi's view, the captain having to raise his hands to keep the particulates battering his body from getting in his one exposed eye (the other hidden by a patch). For only a moment this intense wind persisted, however, and after this moment it began to settle as the scene again became calm. Before him stood Ryojin, looking identical to his previous state, though with one exception: a beautiful, long scimitar with a silver blade and black handle and pommel held in his left hand. Upon the top of the blade until the converging point near the tip were strange, unrecognizable words written in a blood-like crimson, and Ryojin looked upon this sword with pride and admiration.

"You have a zanpakuto?" asked Kenpachi, to which Ryojin nodded in the affirmative. "So you're a shinigami after all?"

"No, Kenpachi, I am not a shinigami," replied Ryojin. "I was once a Holy, a sort of precursory state to a shinigami, and this is my zanpakuto in its pseudo-evolved form. A zanpakuto of a Holy is very young developmentally and cannot withstand this transformation; however, I have spent the last four hundred years training with my zanpakuto, Jigenseisokuka, to undergo this transition without harming him nor myself. And now that I finally see his true form…truly it is extraordinary…"

"You keep talking crazy," said Kenpachi in a boorish tone. "I'll just kill you, okay?" Once again Kenpachi leapt into action, crossing the ground between them in the blink of an eye and crashing into Ryojin's blade. A deafening squeal of steel-on-steel erupted, drowning out all other sound, and Ryojin found himself sliding backwards across the ground; Kenpachi's weight and forceful attack was too much for Ryojin to hold his ground, and after sliding several dozen yards Kenpachi laughed and struck Ryojin again, knocking the Viajante away and slamming him into the ground like a meteor.

Kenpachi did not hesitate to continue his assault, however, and as soon as Ryojin had stood up he once again found Kenpachi's chipped blade slashing him away. Several times this pattern continued, until at last Ryojin could barely get up after thirty seconds.

"Ha!" laughed Kenpachi condescendingly. "You're defense has no weight behind it! You're attacks are soft and weak! Don't you have any spirit power at all?" Beyond Ryojin slowly stood up, his body clearly becoming badly bruised and battered, with not a single inch of his clothing left unscathed from dirt and blood.

"I wonder about that…" muttered Ryojin, his eyes held low and out of Kenpachi's sight.

"I'm pretty bad at sensing reiatsu," continued Kenpachi. "The Old Fart keeps telling me I gotta improve, but when I'm real close to someone I can kinda get a sense of their spiritual strength. With you, you're either hiding it perfectly like that Nemu chick said…or you don't have any to begin with."

"Congratulations," replied Ryojin, after which he coughed up a trickle of blood that ran down from the corner of his mouth. "You are correct – I don't have an ounce of my own spirit pressure. However…" Ryojin then turned his body perpendicular to Kenpachi, his left hand and sword pointed at the captain, while his right was out of sight.

"However what?" asked Kenpachi, but as soon as the words left his lips he felt his body go completely numb and stiff, as though every muscle, every nerve, and every bone had suddenly vanished, in their stead a lifeless support. "W-what…the…?" From behind him in the bushes, Yachiru looked onward, every second passing bringing to her a deeper and deeper fear in her childish heart as he hero, adopted father, and captain stood motionless.

"Ken…chan?" she whispered, her eyes searching for a clue as to what happened, but then she saw it – a red blur just behind Kenpachi's back, with a hand reaching out and touching the captain's back with its fingers outstretched.

"Jigenseisokuka is a wonderful zanpakuto," declared Ryojin, likewise hardly moving at all from his position a few paces in front of Kenpachi. "He is loyal, strong, wise…but his ability to open dimensional rifts in space-time is most useful."

"Dimensions…?" stammered Kenpachi, each syllable nearly impossible to frame.

"That's right," continued Ryojin. "In Jizengensei, I never had the chance to show you Jigenseisokuka's power, but alas, that is a moot point now. Since you have been standing in the same place before each attack, I found I could take advantage of those short moments. With you standing motionless, I opened a rift behind me out of your line of sight, through which I placed my arm away from you – but when I opened the rift behind you, my hand emerged in the same direction, ending up squarely upon your back."

"D-damn…y-you…" cursed Kenpachi, the mere utterance of the words stinging his entire body as though it were wrapped in some electrified web.

"I would have defeated you sooner," said Ryojin after a moment, his face now looking saddened and forlorn. "But I wanted to see how you had grown. Honestly, I am very proud of you, and as such I will tell you a secret. It won't be very long that you will be trapped in darkness – this I promise you." With that Ryojin retracted his hand back into the red, blurry rift, and Kenpachi fell limply to the ground where he lay motionless from then on, a mixed look of horror and confusion upon his stony face. The blurs then vanished, leaving Ryojin in his disheveled state alone in the trees.

"Ken-chan!!!" cried out Yachiru, leaping immediately from the bushes and running to Kenpachi's lifeless side. "Ken-chan! Ken-chan! Wake up!!! KEN-CHAN!!!" Tears began streaming down her youthful face from her large, brown eyes, but before she could give any further emotional release Ryojin's voice penetrated her soul, freezing her with fear as she had never felt before in her short life.

"Young one, leave this place," commanded Ryojin, his voice cold, hard, and forceful. He then began walking towards her, his scimitar in hand, and as he did so Yachiru reached for her own zanpakuto.

"You killed Ken-chan…" she whimpered as she began to draw her sword, but as soon as the steel of the blade became visible Ryojin vanished into a blur, reappearing suddenly next to her with his hand on the hilt of her sword, holding it in place and keeping her from removing it.

"I have no desire nor need to kill a child," continued Ryojin. "I do not want any harm to come upon you at all. Now, go back to Sereitei, and give your leaders this message: send out all captains to face me, or I will tear Sereitei and her inhabitants apart." Yachiru looked up into Ryojin's now cold face, all of the usual warmth and kindness completely void.

"B-but…" stammered the young lieutenant, but Ryojin would not have any of it.

"Go now, young one," he commanded. "Go lest I be forced to destroy you. Your captain's death was necessary, but yours will most definitely be a waste. Now go." Whether it was the forcefulness of his words, the death of Kenpachi, or the inherent terror that this man instilled into Yachiru's heart, something inside her agreed and put her zanpakuto back into its hilt. Without another word from the young girl she ran off through the trees, tears streaming off her face from the wind rushing past her cheeks.

_Ken…chan…_

**Next chapter: THE LAST RAMPART**

**BONUS!** It's kinda hard to think funny after a chapter like this. But let me suggest to you to watch some Brian Regan. That'll cheer you up ^_^


	24. Chapter 23: The Last Rampart

**CHAPTER 23: THE LAST RAMPART**

Lucian Francis' wavy blonde hair appeared over the crest of a large, gray hill, deep into the pale, dead wilderness of the Plane of Sorrow. As the Holy's eyes finally gained view of the new valley before him, Ichigo, Inoue, Ishida, Chad, Aiseki, and Declan, likewise appeared as they reached the summit, joining the now still and stationary Lucian as he gazed with trepidation beyond them. He then raised a finger and pointed out beyond them, across the deep valley and towards a rather large, though dead and lifeless, mountain several miles away.

"That is our destination," declared Lucian. "The last rampart – the end of this plane."

"But it looks just like all the others…" observed Ichigo. "I mean, there are mountains even behind it…"

"Pay closer attention, Ichigo Kurosaki," said Lucian, now lowering his hand and turning to the orange-haired shinigami. "Open your spiritual eyes and ears. Can you feel it, the shallowness of the energy surrounding that mountain?"

"I guess so…" replied Ichigo, his eyes clenched tightly as he tried to sense according to Lucian's request. To this Lucian smiled as he addressed him again.

"I would say to take my word for it," continued Lucian.

"What good is your word anymore?" interrupted Declan coldly, his face turned away from Lucian. All eyes suddenly fell upon Lucian as he gazed with sorrow towards his younger counterpart.

"To ask you to trust me is a moot point, I suppose…" started Lucian softly.

"Declan, Lucian has never lied to you," interjected Inoue with a smile upon her warm, lovely face. "You have to understand that. There is a difference between lying to hide and lying to protect."

"Whatever…" grumbled Declan, his normally cheery face down and dejected. "He never told me the truth about what happened – omission is just as bad as sins of commission." With that he stepped ahead of the group to begin heading down the slope into the valley below, but before he travelled even a yard the sound of thunder roared throughout the atmosphere around them.

"Oh no…" gasped Lucian, his eyes now wide with horror, and as though with the flick of a switch eight figures appeared before them about thirty feet away down the hillside. Declan immediately stopped in his tracks as the eight stared him and the others down in their fine black leather gowns.

"Declan Greenleaf," started the tall, spindly man in the center of the group with a shallow, tinny voice. "And Lucian Francis…the traitor."

"Callous Depardieu," replied Lucian, now holding his head up proudly, though his voice was hardly that. "What a tragedy it is to see you again."

"The traitor brought friends with him!" observed the woman standing next to Callous, beautiful and voluptuous with long, gorgeous dark-brown hair.

"Now now, Michele," countered Callous. "These are not his friends as you well know. Rather, Lucian seeks to use them as tools."

"Tools to escape this prison," added an intense Asian man with dark hair tied into a ponytail and dark sunglasses over his eyes. "He couldn't care less what happened to them – as long as he is able to escape."

"So selfish…" said another woman among them, she being small and slender with silvery blonde hair and large, deep blue eyes. "Before he betrayed us, I never thought Lucian could even fathom an evil thought, but now…"

"Shinsei, Lillith, you are wrong," piped up another woman, this with fair skin, sky blue eyes and chestnut hair. "Callous, you as well. Tools he is making them indeed, but he never really betrayed us, did he?"

"Careful, Guro," cautioned Callous in a false tone of concern as Guro stepped towards the group, bypassing Declan and approaching Lucian, where with she stopped mere inches away from his still and silent figure.

"He would never betray his master," continued Guro in a disturbingly seductive tone, her mouth open as though in lascivious anticipation. "Nor would he betray the woman he always eyed to give himself to…" Guro lifted her right hand and brushed her index and middle fingers across Lucian's emotionless face and lips, her piercing eyes gazing up into his as though attempting to elicit a positive, lustful response.

"Be gone, you vile woman," whispered Lucian softly, but loud enough that Guro heard every word. "Never speak of me again."

"How cold…" said Guro after a moment, stepping back from Lucian and moving off from the seven escapees to the left. "You're right – he is a traitor. You all think he is leading you to freedom, but that man cannot be trusted. He knows the energy required to vanquish Jigenseisokuka's hold upon you…oh yes, Lucian, we know all about your plans."

"You seek to use them to break this dimension apart…" said Michele Revenant. "But you intend to sacrifice them so that you alone can escape."

"In hopes to join again with your fallen master," added Callous in his shrill, tinny voice. "You cannot deny your heart has sought to again serve under his masterful tutelage. Therefore, we will make a deal with you, Lucian Francis, Commodore of the Second Holy Commission."

"Help us kill Declan and these worthless vermin," declared Lillith Levesque boldly. "And we will ensure your reinstatement into our illustrious group. You will be able to walk and rule along side your maestro Ryojin Valhalla once more, but as Gods of the universe!" Lillith's voice echoed across the valley before them, reminiscent of rolling thunder, and after it quieted Lucian lowered his face and closed his eyes tightly.

"Lucian…?" asked Declan in a faint voice, looking back at his Holy comrade, but Lucian did not respond.

"Pff…" mocked one of the men, this an American-looking man, even the former Officer Stephen Cusack who now stepped towards the escapees while baring his hands as though preparing for a fistfight. "You put so much faith in this man, Declan, when surely you knew that something was off with him. I deride you! Callous, allow me to dispose of these rats; they will be short work for someone of our level – and with Lucian's help…" Stephen's voice suddenly vanished, his eyes screwed up in shock. Below him Lucian appeared, his arm piercing the fallen Holy's chest, Lucian's hand covered in blood and emerging from his back. For several moments this scene seemed to hold still, until at last the overwhelming force of Lucian's strike caught with his blinding speed, blasting Stephen fifty yards away where his corpse crumpled upon the ground.

"Wicked souls…" growled Lucian, his face wrenched up in anger as he shifted his gaze from the now-dead Stephen to the remaining seven Fallen Ones. "I will defeat you all and find a way to stop Ryojin." Beyond, Callous Depardieu looked onward with an air of pompous disgust upon his spindly, bony face.

"How unfortunate that dear Stephen is dead," he declared rather indifferently. "However, now the fight is proper – one against one. Let us get this over with then; Holies, choose your foes, and give each duel space. We don't want to interfere with the honor of battle."

"Very well, Lord Callous," agreed Michele. "I request to fight the orange-haired shinigami with the huge sword, if you will permit." Callous nodded in the affirmative, and Michele motioned with her head for Ichigo to leave with her to the left.

"Be careful, Ichigo," muttered Declan to the substitute shinigami. "Michele is…"

"Yeah, she's powerful, I get it," interrupted Ichigo as he grabbed the hilt of his sword, the bandages covering the blade falling off as though by an unspoken command. "Everyone, this is the big one – don't screw up." Without another word he vanished form the group along with Michele Revenant.

"Kurosaki-kun…" whispered Inoue as she watched Ichigo vanish, realizing in so doing that the man who had saved her and protected her so many times was now in no position to continue this trend. These thoughts could not persist long, however, before she heard words that chilled her to the bone.

"I'll take the busty babe in the back," called out Guro Murad. "She's got an interesting spiritual pressure about her…I'd like to find out what it is." Again Callous nodded affirmative, and Inoue gasped in terror.

"But…" she started, her voice shaky and her eyes wide with horror. "But I…"

"What, you are afraid of me?" laughed Guro. "Who would have ever thought one of the Mortal Keys would be held inside of such a weak woman!"

"Inoue…" interjected Ishida with a soft voice. "You fall back; I'll fight two of them so you don't have to…" Inoue's trembling started to increase as she though of Ishida fighting two of these monsters.

_Two of them?!_ she thought, a lump welling up in her throat. _Esquevedo's strength was so much, though…and if these guys are stronger than him…_

"We've got this," added Chad, but Inoue spoke up suddenly, drawing the attention of everyone in the party.

"No," declared Inoue, her voice no longer afraid nor trembling, her frightened eyes now full of courage and determination. "I will go."

"I-Inoue-san…!" started Ishida, but Inoue was already running off to the right after Guro, the latter already moving away from the party as soon as Inoue had agreed. "Damn it…she isn't suited for battle!"

"The choice has been made," said Declan somberly. "It is the proper way to fight; if one accepts a battle, their honor is set and they must face off. Already too much honor has been wasted and lost…surely we can give these traitors a final, proper battle so that I might face God with a somewhat pure heart."

"I will fight you, Declan Greenleaf!" cried out the intense Asian Commodore Shinsei Gotei. "For death and glory, let me fight you, the supposed greatest of all Holies!"

"Very well…" muttered Declan with a sigh, after which he turned to Aiseki, Ishida, and Chad. "I cannot guarantee you will be victorious…even Lucian wouldn't say such a rash thing. However, fight with all your power – don't hold anything back." With that Declan and Shinsei both vanished, and Lillith Levesque, the slender, petite woman raised her voice.

"You, with the glasses," she called out to Ishida. "You will be my opponent." Ishida furled his brow and frowned.

"My name is Uryuu Ishida," he replied defiantly. "And you will regret ever having chosen to fight me." Like the others before them, they too vanished from the group.

"You, the big guy," said one of the remaining Fallen Ones, this a Korean-looking man with short, bristly black hair and dark eyes set in a cold, hardened face. "You will fight me." Chad looked back at Kyeongseok Goh and gave a short grunt, and immediately ran off after his new opponent, leaving Lucian and Aiseki Kennomichi with Callous and one remaining Fallen One, this being a younger-looking man with dark, olive skin, jet black hair and mahogany eyes, reminiscent of a man from India.

"I will fight the confused-looking shinigami," declared Me'epo Sripathi. "You may challenge Lucian Francis, Lord Callous."

"Very well," replied Callous. "You, shinigami – follow Me'epo and get as far away from here as you can, lest you be caught in our wake."

"Y-yeah…" replied Mark hesitantly, and he too ran off to follow his newly assigned foe, leaving now finally only two on the barren, gray mountainside beneath the bleak, black sky of the Plane of Sorrow.

"I was so disappointed to learn you were one of the keyholders of the Premortal Realm," said Callous shallowly. "I wanted so much to torture your traitorous, immortal body and cast it into the wastelands…"

"You call me a traitor…" countered Lucian. "You say it so freely…yet it is you who rebelled against the just laws of God. I may have betrayed you few in our evil, but you betrayed billions upon billions of souls, and what for? A vain wish? A fanciful thought? Did you think that mere men could reach the sun without getting burned to cinders?"

"It is sorrowful you see you in this state," replied Callous, now raising his right arm and holding his hand out towards Lucian. "You were once such a faithful student to Master Ryojin…but now look at you. I must vanquish such a grand soul…Seraphim!" With a flash a flurry of feathers appeared behind Callous' spindly body, giving him the appearance of having gigantic white wings growing from his back.

"Seraphim, your zanpakuto of legendary grace and power," observed Lucian, unphased by Callous' intimidating display. "I was always impressed by your strength, Callous. You were always so faithful to the Commissions, to Jizengensei, to God…but now you use your once honorable zanpakuto for evil. I cannot tolerate this; Cerillius, come to my side."

--

Inoue felt like she had been running for many minutes when Guro Murad, the fair Scandinavian, finally stopped her flight away from their original positions. The Holy's face and body remained turned away from Inoue as the redhead slowly approached, her ample chest heaving from the stress of the flight.

"Gunda isn't fond of you, I'll have you know," started Guro in a loud, matter-of-fact tone. "From the first sight of you she has been repulsed…but I think its more jealousy on her part." With these words Guro turned around, a hideous grin upon her soft, light face.

"Please…" pleaded Inoue. "Please stop this!" Beyond Guro's entire body seemed to wince at Inoue's statement.

"Gah!" cried out Guro, now clutching her chest as though in pain. "There it is again! She really despises you, girl!"

"But…why?" began Inoue, but no sooner had she said this than Guro's body began to glow a pale, light blue, and with a brief flash a tall figure appeared next to the Holy, this heavily-endowed newcomer clothed in regal furs from neck to foot, a silver tiara of heavy knots woven into her titanium white hair and a long, golden trident in her right hand, the tips of which were barbed and hooked towards the shaft.

"Gunda, you don't have to hurt me you know," counseled Guro to her embodied zanpakuto.

"You kept looking at her…" growled Gunda in a deep alto voice. The zanpakuto then opened her shimmering blue, iridescent eyes and gazed upon Inoue with an air of contempt. "Now that I see her with my own eyes, I am even more repulsed. She thinks she is so beautiful, I'm sure. Look at the way she sets her hair, her dress, he posture. Look at her curves…she disgusts me!"

"Might bit jealous, are we?" mocked Guro, but Inoue couldn't stand the dialogue any further.

"Stop this!" cried out Inoue as loudly as she could. "I don't want to fight, but…

"Huh?" asked Guro with false curiosity. "Then what do you want, little girl? You want us to have tea together and sing Ride Ride Ranke?" (This is a traditional Norwegian children's song)

"My eyes have seen so much sorrow since this all happened," continued Inoue, reaching across and holding her left arm with her right hand. "I hate fighting…more than anything I hate it…but I can't let everyone down."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Guro. "You aren't a shinigami, and you aren't a Quincy like the glasses-kid back there. I take it you have some grand power underneath your shirt?"

"She has no power," declared Gunda coldly. "She has some spiritual pressure, but that is likely due to her acquaintance with the others."

"Perhaps you're right," sighed Guro. "I really wanted to kill Lucian, but I couldn't resist seeing what this peculiar energy surrounding her was. Ah well, let's just kill her and go back."

"Thank you," said Gunda cruelly, and with a rush of wind she flew towards Inoue with the speed of a bullet, ice crackling and bursting from the ground beneath as she sped. Faster and faster she approached, and when she was within a few yards she lunged her trident forward towards the seemingly planted Inoue's chest.

_Santen Kesshun…I reject!_

With a frightening scream of steel Gunda's trident crashed into a strange orange, triangular shield appearing out of nowhere between her and Inoue, the latter standing firm behind it.

"That is peculiar…" said Guro's voice from directly behind Inoue, causing the redhead's eyes to widen in shock as a heavy thud landed against the back of her head, smashing her into and through the shield, shattering it into countless pieces. Inoue then landed hard and rolled upon the ground until coming to a stop several feet away from Gunda and Guro, now staring down at her with a mixture of contempt and cruelty.

"I've never seen such a technique before," continued Guro after Inoue had stopped rolling. "That isn't a shinigami's power, nor even a hollow's; how very interesting…"

"This fly isn't even worth swatting, mistress," growled Gunda, slamming and sticking her trident into the ground. "She clearly has no useful power aside from that weak shield, and no will to fight, even when everything she knows is falling apart. What a waste of spiritual power on a human…"

"Gunda," said Guro solemnly. "Frys Verden." Gunda's trident flashed from gold to blue, and the ground began to rumble beneath them and Inoue, still lying upon the ground in pain and terror.

"What are you…?" she gasped, but before she could finish a wall of ice shot up from the ground beneath her. As the chunks and chips of ice settled and fell, Inoue's frozen eyes peered out blankly from with the sheet of thick ice, her body completely frozen and entrapped.

"Pitiful," grumbled Guro. "Just pitiful. Gunda, let's go." Guro then turned to walk away, Gunda close behind, and Inoue stuck in the frozen monolith behind.

--

"What?!" gasped Uryuu Ishida as he stood before Lillith Levesque, his glowing, star-like spirit bow in hand and his face covered with sweat even at this early point in the battle. _No way…no way! Inoue can't have…!_

"Are you having a problem?" asked Lillith, brushing her long hair from her soft eyes. "Oh…I see now. Guro has finished her fight already…impressive. That girl was nothing…"

"Shut up!" shouted Ishida, launching several dozen small glowing arrows at Lillith, who easily dodged them with seemingly no effort."

"Is she your lover or something?" asked Lillith. "Ah, forgive me. _Was_ she your lover?"

"I said quiet!" growled Ishida, again spraying a flurry of arrows at his foe, but with the same result as before. "Inoue-san is my friend, a very dear person to me!"

"The you must be heartbroken!" exclaimed Lillith with simulated shock. "To feel your friend vanish from you like that…how sad." Lillith then began to chuckle to herself, meanwhile Ishida closed his eyes and began to search every ounce of spirit energy he could detect.

_Where is she?!_ he thought, his emotions slowly creeping in as he tried to focus. _Inoue, please don't die! Inoue!!!_

"I think you're lying to me," said Lillith's voice, and Ishida opened his eyes to see Lillith standing not three feet away from him. Ishida didn't hesitate to fire upon her, but before his arrows could even reach her position she was already away off to the right several yards.

"Be quiet…" said Ishida in a soft, heavily angered voice, but it seemed Lillith was ignoring him.

"I think you ARE lovers," she continued in a musing tone. "I felt you search for her reiatsu; such a desperate search…only a lover, one who has shared her greatest secrets and treasures, would go to such exhaustive and defenseless measures to seek out another's soul."

"Inoue is not my lover," said Ishida coldly. "But I can't find her reiatsu, and it seems like she is dead. In which case, I cannot afford to hold back at all."

"Excellent!" said Lillith, clapping her petite hands together. "That means I can let loose as well then…though I'm afraid that by judging your spiritual power, you won't last much longer than your pretty friend."

"We'll see about that," countered Ishida, but Lillith shook her head somewhat sorrowfully.

"Now you're lying to yourself," said the Holy. "I'm sure you can sense spiritual power quite easily, and in so doing you should have realized by now that my reiatsu is roughly twenty times what you have right now – and I'm holding back quite a bit as it is."

_That's right…_ thought Ishida. _When we first encountered Esquevedo Veracruz, the reiatsu he released was so intense we couldn't stand, but so far neither she nor the others have released even an ounce of intimidation. Could it be that all I'm sensing from her is what is unconsciously seeping out of her body?!_

"I would actually enjoy spending time with a sensory-able individual such as yourself," said Lillith, taking Ishida somewhat by surprise. "The others are surprisingly weak for Holies when it comes to detecting reiatsu, and there are many caveats and interesting aspects about various spiritual wavelengths. However, Jigenseisokuka seemed quite insistent on having us destroy you with as little disturbance as possible. I'm sure he doesn't want Master Ryojin to know of this little jailbreak."

"The Viajante doesn't know?" asked Ishida, but Lillith made no sign of answering him, instead she sighed and took a breath before speaking.

"Voltaire, pierce his soul."

**Next chapter: DESPERATION**

**BONUS!** HOLY FREAKING CRAP GO JAZZ!!! You gotta watch the recap of the Cavs-Jazz game from the 15th. HOLY CRAP!


	25. Chapter 24: Desperation

**CHAPTER 24: DESPERATION**

"Voltaire, pierce his soul." No sooner had these words left Lillith Levesque's smooth, rosy lips than a puff of smoke burst in the air beside her, from which shot out a seemingly innumerable count of small metallic rods, all woven together like a web. Uryuu Ishida saw them coming, and attempted to leap out of the way, but to no avail as the razor-sharp web of metal caught him and pierced his midsection in several places. Ishida couldn't move; the web was strong and unmoving, and in his excruciating pain he realized that, like a fly caught in the web of a spider, his doom was at hand.

"GAH!" cried out Ishida as the pain continued to shoot through his many wounds all across his body. The bow in his hands vanished into the small five-point star bracelet on his right wrist, and as it did so Ishida opened his heavily squinted eyes just enough to see a second figure now accompanying Lillith, this figure a man, tall with deep violet skin and dark, crimson robes, his eyes orange and electric. From his fingers sprang the web of steel rods, or cords; whatever they were, Ishida was completely trapped by them, these same rods running through his body, through his organs, and causing such pain that he though he would go blind.

"I'm sure that if you had the capacity, you'd be thinking that this web is causing far more pain than it should," said Lillith somewhat lightheartedly. "If you were thinking that, you are correct. My zanpakuto Voltaire's specialty, the Filet Vengeur, infuses my own spiritual energy with his, allowing me to send reiatsu, like electricity, along its length. See? Watch, I'll send a pulse down right now." Lillith grinned mischievously, and almost immediately Ishida's pain reached a new level as he felt as though an electric shock was forced into his body, burning his muscles and forcing them to contract.

"S-stop!" he stammered, but to this Lillith made a sad sound, frowned, and shook her head.

"I cannot stop," she said remorsefully. "I have never actually been able to test this technique on a living person, and I need to gauge its effectiveness for further use. You see, where we plan on going, the Eternal Realm of the Gods, we need to be at our very best or else we will all be killed in the blink of an eye."

After several seconds the pulse of reiatsu vanished, causing Ishida to feel relief all while still being skewered by Voltaire's steel web. It was in this state that Ishida began to feel some level of lucidity, and using this state he opened his eyes and looked at the woman and zanpakuto before him.

"Y-your zanpakuto…" stammered Ishida, eliciting a curious look from Lillith. "He's o-outside your b-body…how are you…?"

"How am I sending reiatsu into his web?" interrupted Lillith. "Simple; Voltaire and I have the finest spiritual and emotional connection out of any Holy in Jizengensei's history. Our very thoughts are linked, and what I feel he feels, and vice-versa. If I want somebody dead, then he will feel the same way, and because of our unbreakable connection we are able to transmit not only feelings and emotions, but energy as well. It's like love…only not so foolish and weak."

"Love…isn't…weakness…" stammered Ishida, but as he did so he had a thought. _They are linked? What if I took advantage of this?_

"You humans…" grumbled Lillith. "You think you understand your feelings so well, when your minds are completely shadowed from truth. How can one expect to know themselves when in fact they are prevented from so doing?"

_I have one shot at this…I'll release it all…_

"But then again," continued Lillith. "I guess you have already experienced the Jizengensei life, long before my own creation…"

_NOW!_

Using all his control and faculties despite the overwhelming pain, Ishida opened his soul and flooded his remaining reiatsu into the steel network. Sparks of energy bounced off the intermingled webbing, arcing from line to line and racing towards Voltaire, who developed a look of shock upon his violet face as the rush of spiritual energy neared. Too quick it was, however, for him to evade, and as such the wave of power from Ishida's embattled body entered his, causing the zanpakuto to shudder from the influx and creating a large electric arc that bounced from his body to Lillith's. With a deafening zap and a bright flash the spiritual energy collided with her petite body, causing a dense cloud of dark vapor to encompass the Fallen One.

"Ugh…" grumbled Voltaire in a deep, round voice, shaking his head as if waking up from a nightmare. "What was that…" Whether out of pain or distraction, Voltaire's web vanished into the air, dispersing into millions of bright spots that faded gradually, and Ishida fell the ground.

"That was me taking advantage," replied Ishida in heavy breaths, his midsection painted crimson with effluent blood. "She shouldn't have given away her secret…surely she would have known that I am a Quincy, and can easily control my reiatsu. Had she done so, she would have won."

"Quincy, huh?" asked smooth, indifferent alto voice from the dark vapor, sending a chill down Ishida's spine that felt as though it would paralyze him. Ahead of him the cloud of vapor dispersed, showing Lillith Levesque standing in the same position as before, only a slight scorch mark on her black leather gown the sign of Ishida's attack; all else about this woman seemed completely unscathed…only know her face was angered, her cruel blue eyes gazing down at Ishida's pain-ridden, trembling body.

"But…how…?" gasped Ishida, to which Voltaire gave a short chuckle.

"I remember learning about you in school," continued Lillith. "I feel embarrassed for not realizing this earlier; after all, you have the spirit bow, the highly-controlled spiritual energy, exemplary detective abilities…but what probably should have clued me in to your true nature is your unbelievable delusional arrogance."

"What…?"

"The Quincy were supposedly destroyed because of their arrogance," stated Lillith, her voice low and uncaring. "But before their destruction, they still thought they had far greater power than they actually did. I assume that you think you literally kill hollows with that bow of yours?"

"But…" started Ishida. "But Quincy destroy the souls of hollows…"

"Ha!" laughed Lillith, though her face remained cruel throughout. "You think that humans have such incredible power? You really think you can destroy that which cannot be destroyed?! All you Quincy do is disperse the souls comprised in a hollow; they eventually reform elsewhere, and sometimes even in their same hollow form. Your bow wouldn't even break my skin; those of Jizengensei are young in our transcendent lives…but our spiritual powers far exceed even the greatest of Soul Society's captains."

"Lillith," interrupted Voltaire. "We should finish this now and help Callous; I sense great danger for him at the hands of Lucian Francis."

"That is a wise counsel," replied Lillith. "Now you, Quincy, will perish" Ishida hesitated for a moment, but at last gave a request.

"Won't you tell me your name?" asked Ishida sincerely. "At least give me that honor…"

"I am Lillith Levesque, former Commodore of the Fifth Holy Commission," she replied. "For you, I will give the complete incantation." Lillith then raised her right hand, all fingers pointed towards Ishida as he knelt upon the ground, unable to move due to the encroaching pain and darkness from Voltaire's devastating attack.

_Here it comes…_ thought Ishida as he closed his eyes. _I can't use hirenkyaku to escape…I'm sorry, everyone._ Ahead, Lillith drew a breath and began to speak in low, soft, cruel tones.

"Priesthood of the Ninth Heaven, the Glorious Realm of Oliblish, Eighty-six, Steel Stalactite."

Above Ishida a flash of light shone out, and a group of sharp steel spikes appeared in the air. Without any delay these spikes shot down towards the ground and Ishida's body where the Quincy took a deep breath and awaited his death.

_I'm so sorry, everyone…_

--

Chad's chest heaved heavily as he stood defensively, his face bloodied and his skin bruised; even Chad's arms in their released forms were damaged and scarred. While he thus stood, a myriad of spiritual fluctuations intruded upon his mind…Ishida, Inoue, Ichigo, that Aiseki guy…

"Your friends are struggling," declared Kyeongseok Goh, the Korean-looking Fallen One, his visage and appearance completely unscathed – a far cry from Chad's current state. "Just are you are."

"They'll win, all of them," countered Chad defiantly, to which Kyeongseok, a rather sullen looking man, shook his head in the negative while closing his eyes.

"Confidence in the face of utter defeat means one of two things," said Kyeongseok. "One, that you have a secret trump card, one that you are confident will be enough to defeat even someone vastly more powerful than yourself. Two, that you are trying to console yourself, and that you indeed know your doom is at hand. We haven't been fighting for more than a few minutes, and already I can see that you are nearing your limit." Suddenly a bright flash of light appeared, and a beam of said light flew past Kyeongseok's ear, nicking off some of his black hair above his left ear. Beyond, Chad stood with his right arm, the Brazo Derecho del Gigante, extended and smoldering from the burst.

"We will win," repeated Chad once again.

"Of course there is a third possibility," continued Kyeongseok, brushing the recently clipped hair with his left hand. "You could be completely out of your mind, sincerely thinking that the fly can crush the elephant." Before he had finished speaking, however, Chad was already bearing down upon him, his fists glowing with spiritual radiation.

"GAH!" cried out Chad as he thrust his left arm, the Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, at Kyeongseok, only to have, once again, the Fallen One vanish from his sight, the momentum of his thrust carrying his fist down onto the ground in an explosion of dirt, dust, and debris.

"That is the fifteenth attempt," called out Kyeongseok's voice from behind as the dust settled. "Doesn't it grate upon your ego to repeat the same action repeatedly, yet expecting different results? Isn't that a sign of insanity?"

"I won't give up…" grumbled Chad as he immediately spun around and delivered another crushing blow – only to again be evaded with ease.

"You know, this isn't as much fun as I thought it would be," declared Kyeongseok. "I chose to fight you because you seemed to have great physical prowess…but now that I can see firsthand your abilities, I must say I am not impressed."

"But we have to win," replied Chad. "Ichigo, Ishida, Lucian…everyone is giving their best, and we have to if we want to stop the Viajante!" Kyeongseok's rather blasé façade suddenly vanished, in its place a stony, cold look as he glared at Chad through dark brown eyes.

"You actually think you can defeat the man who would be God?" asked Kyeongseok, startling Chad with such a question. "You actually think that you seven – the same that Master Ryojin has already defeated with incredible ease – can even fathom defeating him? Even with a thousand men of your strength could this not be accomplished!"

"That isn't true," countered Chad, drawing a little ire from Kyeongseok. "Lucian told us; Ryojin lost his spiritual power when he first tried to take over Jizengensei. If he is just like any other man now, then he can be beaten by a human like me." Kyeongseok was silent for a moment, instead continuing his cold glare.

"You foolish human…" grumbled the Fallen One. "There is more to power than reiatsu…and that is why you will lose to him, no matter what, no matter how many times you get back up. But more importantly is this: the path to Ryojin is blocked by us, his faithful and loyal servants."

"Then I will crush all of you and stop him!" growled Chad, his left fist now glowing brightly and catching Kyeongseok's attention.

"Tell you what," said Kyeongseok in a different, more pleasant tone. "I will let you hit me – once – for free. A gimme, a mulligan, a head start."

"W-what?" asked Chad, his words fumbling from the sudden onset of confusion. Beyond, Kyeongseok straightened his posture and stuck out his chest like an open target.

"If you kill me, then you win and I will be wrong," continued Kyeongseok. "You will then be free to challenge Ryojin, and who knows – perhaps you will 'save the world'." While Chad would normally have hesitated for fear of a trap, this time he immediately rushed towards Kyeongseok, a battle cry on his lips and his fist glowing like the sun.

_I will not hold back at all…_ thought Chad as his target neared. _He is underestimating me…I will go with my full force, and defeat him in one blow._

"That's right…" said Kyeongseok, a grin appearing on his face for the first time since they had begun battling. "Let loose, go all out…"

"La Muerte!" cried Chad, and he thrust his left fist with all his strength and force into Kyeongseok's chest, but instead of his target being sent flying, Chad's fist instantly rebounded as though Kyeongseok's body were made of super-hard, yet perfectly elastic rubber. This, coupled with the immense momentum of Chad's attack, sent himself – not his foe – flying backwards where he crashed and rolled to a stop upon the rocky ground, his already bloodied body even more battered and bruised, and his left arm clearly broken at the humerus and radius both broken from the force. In this state Chad welled up the unbelievable pain into his throat and kept from calling out in agony, and slowly stood up.

_Impossible…_ thought Chad, the expression on his face becoming distressed. _He didn't move…how did he repulse me like that?_

"Something about your face tells me this isn't the first time something like this has happened," mused Kyeongseok, his body and dark leather raiment still unscathed. "Of course, not _exactly_ the same…no one in existence has a zanpakuto quite like mine."

"Zanpakuto?" gasped Chad. "I don't see a zanpakuto anywhere…"

"Of course you don't," replied Kyeongseok with a smile. "Tomeiningen…the legendary 'invisible zanpakuto'." With these words a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared out of thin air next to Kyeongseok, causing Chad to freak out a little inside.

"Goh-sama…" whispered a voice upon the air as the eyes then turned towards their master, who now smiled as though looking at his child.

"Are you familiar with the method of zanpakuto creation?" asked Kyeongseok to Chad, who didn't reply due his state of shock at seeing Tomeiningen's eyes. "I didn't think so. You see, the shinigami believe that their zanpakuto are born with them, but this is not the case. Instead, a zanpakuto is created by its master long before entering the Mortal World, even in Jizengensei. As part of development into a Holy, a person in the Premortal realm must create a companion out of their own spirit matter, someone who they love and cherish, someone who will compliment their powers and emotions."

"Goh-sama…" whispered the voice once again, but Kyeongseok seemed to ignore it as he continued his lecture.

"In my case, my spirit was created into curious circumstances," continued the Fallen One. "Like in the mortal world, no one is created into a perfect body. You see, I lack the ability to move my lower body, including legs."

"What?" asked Chad, dubious to these words; after all, Kyeongseok could not only move, he could move exceedingly fast, well beyond the abilities of Chad even at his heightened state.

"You heard me correctly," continued Kyeongseok. "Long ago, I was consistently rejected from the School of Holies due to being restricted to machines to move myself around. However, I created Tomeiningen on my own – an invisible, caring, protecting zanpakuto and best friend – and he has moved my legs for me all this time. It would be boastful to declare, but my efforts landed me an immediate position as Officer in the Ninth Commission."

"Goh-sama…" asked the voice of Tomeiningen for the third time, and this time Kyeongseok responded.

"Yes, Tomeiningen?" asked Kyeongseok with a soft voice.

"That boy's attack hurt…" continued Tomeiningen. "He's very strong; if that had hit you…"

"Either way, it wouldn't have affected me," interjected Kyeongseok. "You can tell, can't you? He poured his entire soul into that one attack. His spiritual power is like an fly compared to ours."

"That's not true…" started Chad, but Kyeongseok quickly interrupted.

"Lies are not becoming of a warrior," declared the Fallen One. "You know it as well as I do – your limit is reached. Again, your power is like that of a fly compared to an elephant; you cannot defeat me…"

"Why are you speaking like this?" asked Tomeiningen, startling Kyeongseok. "This is unlike you to speak so proudly…"

"Master Valhalla has given me hope, my dear zanpakuto," answered Kyeongseok. "He gave us all hope – hope of a better tomorrow, one in which our friends won't risk losing their souls to damnation. If the blood of a few is required to achieve that end, the salvation of billions, then I think it is a worthy goal to be proud of. Hope is power – and hope, through Ryojin Valhalla, is real."

"But…" stuttered Chad, but he could not finish. Logically Kyeongseok's declaration was sound; if billions might be saved, then perhaps the loss of a small few would be justified. In fact, were not the Earth and Jizengensei both preserved high above this plane? Ryojin wasn't trying to destroy the worlds…but then what was he trying do? Was it right for Chad to oppose this?

"It seems that perhaps you are understanding," observed Kyeongseok. "Gradually everyone will come to the same conclusion given enough time to think. After all, it just seems too unfair, this existence of ours. However, Jigenseisokuka has deemed you a threat, and as such you are to be terminated. Don't worry, though; your soul will be allowed to proceed further into progression in the Afterlife once Ryojin becomes God. Now then, Tomeiningen, assist me in delivering the final blow, so that we may go assist Lord Callous."

With those words, the two glowing eyes vanished, and Kyeongseok again began to move, whereupon he immediately leapt and flew at Chad with terrifying speed, his fist aimed directly at Chad's heart. For a moment time seemed to stand still; ahead of him Kyeongseok's rapid approach slowed to a crawl, and for what seemed like minutes Chad waited in patience for his doom. While doing so he noticed a large plume of dust rising from behind a hill where Ishida had gone to fight, but Chad gave little extra thought to this observation.

_Ichigo…it's the end for me. Thanks for everything…but please forgive me for not being strong enough._

--

Mark Anders, also known as Aiseki Kennomichi, panted as he, like Inoue, finally caught up with Me'epo Sripathi, the Fallen Holy that had chosen him for battle. As Aiseki slowed to a stop he was surprised to see Me'epo lying on the ground as though asleep, only to sit up and yawn expressively.

"Oh!" exclaimed the olive-skinned Me'epo mid-yawn. "I'm glad you finally made it!"

"I haven't been able to do a complete shunpo yet…" panted Aiseki, his body hunched over with his hands on his knees. "I've been stuck in a gigai for years…"

"False body?" asked Me'epo, now standing and stretching as one would before a workout. "Wait…don't tell me…you're Mark Anders, aren't you?"

"That was what I was called in the Mortal world," replied Aiseki. "But that was all a lie…a lie perpetrated by Ryojin. My true name is Aiseki Kennomichi" Aiseki tried to take his tone more seriously with those words, hoping to match his words with the gravity of the situation, but it seemed that Me'epo was too busy having a good time to take anything seriously.

"You're the one that Ryojin was always talking about!" exclaimed Me'epo emphatically with a clap of his hands. "All of us were trying to figure out why he was so interested in you, but none of us could figure it out…of course, until now."

"What do you mean?" asked Aiseki, to which Me'epo smiled.

"You look a lot like him," continued the somewhat childish Holy. "I figured that you had to be part of his old family from Jizengensei, and now that I see you face to face, I can definitely see the resemblance. You're his son, aren't you?" Aiseki cringed as the memory that he tried so hard to forget rushed back into his mind, those words that seemed to slice his soul apart, _my son_.

"That's what he told me," replied Aiseki softly. "But he's a monster…if he truly was my father, he's all but forsaken that now."

"You speak strongly for someone who knows so little," retorted Me'epo, his tone now becoming far more dark. "I assume that if he told you of that, then he likely explained to you the situation we are in?"

"I've heard enough to know he's insane," replied Aiseki defiantly. "He wants to destroy this 'God', all in the name of preventing souls from being lost. But it's too diabolical, and too many would perish to meet his self-righteous goal!"

"I'm glad I chose you," said Me'epo upon hearing these words. "I haven't been able to laugh for a quite a while. Now then, Shinigami, draw your sword, and let's get this thing started." Me'epo turned away from Aiseki and continued to stretch, but soon turned back to see Aiseki in his same position, sword still in the scabbard.

"What's the deal?" pressed Me'epo. "I said to draw your sword. You are a shinigami, right?"

"I am," replied Aiseki. "But my zanpakuto prefers to stay in its sheath."

"What?!" laughed Me'epo. "What kind of shinigami has a sword that's afraid to come out? Boy, you really messed up when you made your zanpakuto back in Jizengensei, Aiseki. Oh, man!" Me'epo continued his rude laughter for several moments, but as soon as he saw that Aiseki would not respond or react, he cut his laughter short and wiped his forehead.

"What is your name?" asked Aiseki, removing his still-sheathed katana and holding it in his hands before him.

"Me'epo Sripathi," replied the Fallen One. "Former Officer of the Sixth Holy Commission and loyal servant to the great Ryojin Valhalla. I must say, Aiseki, you're kinda being a downer. If you're not careful, I won't feel bad about killing you and your comrades."

"We cannot fail," countered Aiseki. "Lucian and Declan both feel the same way; what the Viajante is doing may seem right from your perspective, but it feels so wrong, so evil…we must stop him, and if I perish in this end, then so be it." Me'epo's animated

face fell at these words, and he lowered his face and sighed.

"To be honest, I really chose you because I didn't feel like fighting," he said after a moment. "At first I considered that babe, but her reiatsu was too agitated. Out of all the group, you seemed like the one most averse to fighting; I for one think that Jigenseisokuka is overreacting, what with his order to kill you all."

"Jigenseisokuka?" asked Aiseki. "The order wasn't from Ryojin?"

"Are you kidding?" laughed Me'epo incredulously. "Ryojin, giving an order like this? But anyway, I really didn't want to fight; instead I hoped we could hang out and shoot the breeze for a little while, pretend to get all beat up, then let someone else deal with you later on. As it is, however, I'm sure you won't cooperate with that." Me'epo then raised his right arm straight into the air and closed his eyes.

_What is he doing?_ thought Aiseki, but as he did so Me'epo spoke out in a loud voice.

"Judge him, Sharresh."

**Next chapter: AN IMMINENT END**

**BONUS!** Okay, so I've given up on the funny bumper idea. It was a good one, but I'm just not funny like that. Anyway, couple notes about the language used in this chapter.

First, most of you might wonder where in the world I came up with a name like "Oliblish". Well, as it so happens, the ancient Egyptians believed in a very complex universe, wherein the order of the stars and planets was governed by certain celestial bodies. One of these was called Oliblish, being the second-nearest planet/star to where God dwelt. You'll probably see more of this stuff later.

Second, while Kyeongseok is Korean, his zanpakuto has a Japanese name. Why? I can't find an online translator that spells out Korean in Roman letters like Romaji Japanese. And if you're wondering, Tomeiningen literally means "Invisible Man".

Finally, Sharresh is just a name I made up. Don't go nuts trying to find a meaning for it.


	26. Chapter 25: An Imminent End

**CHAPTER 25: AN IMMINENT END**

"Judge him, Sharresh," declared Me'epo Sripathi, extending the fingers of his outstretched hand while Aiseki watched beyond. From each of Me'epo's fingers leaked out a glowing string of translucent material, liquid-like and growing, these strings meeting together beside him. The conglomerating strings then grew further and further, taking shape and becoming more and more opaque until at last a human figure – or what seemed to be human – formed beside him.

"What in the…?" gasped Aiseki as he beheld this new figure, an astonishingly beautiful, dark-skinned, black-haired woman dressed in gold, crimson, and indigo threads, much like an Indian princess – but with eight slender arms, each hand making a different sign as she stood proudly next to Me'epo.

"Sharresh, he is our target," said the Fallen One to his materialized zanpakuto, to which she smiled and turned her gaze up into Aiseki's eyes.

"Aiskei Kennomichi," she said with a smooth, voluptuous alto. "Are you prepared to meet your doom?" Aiseki gulped and held his katana (still sheathed as it always was) tightly as she spoke.

"A warrior must never be afraid of death," he replied, his voice shaky though sure.

"Very well," replied Sharresh. "But this is my first time meeting a fully-developed shinigami. Please, if you would do me the honor of releasing your Bankai."

"Weren't you listening before?" interrupted Me'epo. "His zanpakuto is afraid to come out. It won't even leave its sheath!" Me'epo again began to laugh, while Sharresh shook her head in shame.

"You're wrong," countered Aiseki, promptly stopping Me'epo's ridicule. "All I said was that Awaregeken prefers to stay in his sheath, since he, like I, abhors killing. He is never afraid."

"That is too bad that he won't come out then," replied Me'epo. "Sharresh, bind him." Moving like lightning, Sharresh leapt towards Aiseki with her eight arms outstretched, and before he knew it each of his arms and legs were bound by two of Sharresh's hands. Aiseki struggled to break free, but no matter how hard he tried he could not break loose.

"Sharresh is a unique zanpakuto," said Me'epo once Aiseki was bound. "I decided that instead of tremendous kido, fighting prowess, and other typical attributes, I would focus all her power into a single technique – an incredibly fast binding method that even the greatest of the Holies would not be able to break. You see, when she grabs someone's arm or leg with two arms, her strength and placement renders the muscles in her grasp useless. As you can see, she has two arms holding each of your limbs; you are completely captured, Aiseki. This is how much more powerful I am than you – you can't even move before my presence!" Aiseki again struggled, but once again to no avail.

"This is because you insulted us," said Sharresh into Aiseki's ear. "Had you released your Bankai, this would all be different."

"I haven't achieved Bankai," replied Aiseki, his breath becoming fast from the pressure of Sharresh's hold.

"Lies," replied the Vishnu-esque zanpakuto. "Your spirit resonates too strongly for me to believe that. Surely you have achieved Shikai, correct?"

"Well…" stammered Aiseki, his struggling now reaching its peak. "Yes…but I can't remember…"

"Ryojin constantly told us how powerful this 'Mark' guy was," said Me'epo in a discouraged tone. "Yet here you are, weak like a child. Could it be that Master Valhalla was mistaken?"

"Do not speak of our Lord in such a manner!" scolded Sharresh, turning and glaring at her Holy master. Whether by luck or inspiration, Aiseki suddenly felt Sharresh's hold upon him shudder, and he immediately took advantage and broke his right arm loose – complete with Awaregeken in hand. With all the speed he could muster he turned his wrist, smacking Awaregeken's sheath against Sharresh's uppermost right arm, leaving the sheath resting against her dark, olive skin.

"Such weak attacks will never…hurt…" started Sharresh, instantly reaffirming her grip on Aikei's right arm, but as she spoke her words became slurred and weak. Beyond her, Me'epo's expression turned from one of disappointment to pure shock, and in a flash he knocked Awaregeken away from both Sharresh and Aiseki, after which his fist slammed into Aiseki's stomach, knocking him too away with tremendous force. Despite this, Sharresh still grew weaker until she fell to her knees, her breathing becoming heavy and long.

"M…Me…epo…" stuttered the zanpakuto, and Me'epo dropped to her side.

"What did you do to her…?" growled Me'epo, now kneeling next to his ailing zanpakuto, his arms wrapped around her as though he were caring for a sick child. "What in all of Jizengensei did you do to her!?" These words left as a brutal scream, filling the whole area with Me'epo desperate, enraged voice. Several yards away Aiseki trembled as he stood up, his gut searing from the pain of Me'epo's strike; several organs had been burst, ribs had been broken, and had he been in nearly any other scenario Aiseki would have conceded his life to such a strike. However, too much was at stake, and he stood before his adversary with the pride of a warrior.

"Awaregeken's ability is likewise unique," said Aiseki, doing his best to hide the intense, unbelievable pain from his voice. "His name means 'Sorrowful One', and he is constantly seeking to have joy. In his attempts, he can drain the energy and power out of another to fill his own life, but in his base form contact must be made. As long as he is touching his enemy, he can steal their joy, their energy, their life."

"Such a shameful zanpakuto…" said Me'epo softly, standing up with his back turned to Aiseki. "To steal one's own strength…only a few Holies ever attempted such a lowly thing with their own zanpakuto…"

"You seem like you haven't fought much," interrupted Aiseki with a smile masking his pain. "The second she started wavering under my attack you rushed to her side – a weathered warrior would have instead used the opportunity to kill me, yet here I am, badly damaged yet still living. Do you not have enemies in Jizengensei?"

"We train for the future in Jizengensei," replied Me'epo, his voice still soft and cold. "We train hard since we know that in the future realms there are enemies and entities that seek to destroy. You are right, though – this is only my second time fighting a true enemy…"

"Then I feel bad for you," replied Aiseki. "You are untested; you sent your zanpakuto at an enemy who you knew nothing about, and now you are weaponless."

"Weaponless…" muttered Me'epo to himself, and after a moment he began to chuckle. With that Me'epo turned around to face Aiseki and raised up his right arm so that his fingers pointed towards his foe. "How naïve! Fifty-five, Sacred Bind!" A bright light burst out of the ground surrounding Aiseki, and four bright, ivy-like ropes of light wrapped around his limbs, again binding him and holding him in place.

"Kido?" gasped Aiseki, but to this Me'epo merely laughed.

"Surely you remember the Pearl Wind that killed Esquevedo," said Me'epo. "The Holies have ten Priesthoods, and these priesthoods in turn have ten manifestations, those of the tenth being the greatest in destructive and entrapping force, those of the first having the greatest defensive power. The Bind with which you are trapped is of the sixth Priesthood, a balance between defense and offense, and is of the same type and energy as Sharresh's binding power. Now, shall I show you another? I'll even give you the full incantation as a show of respect."

Aiseki clenched his teeth as he knew death was about to come upon him; the bind was too strong, his body too wracked, and Awaregeken was far from his grasp. The end for Aiseki would come soon, but as he stayed in this train of thought he felt a shudder of spirit from over the hills surrounding them.

_That woman, Orihime…_ thought Aiseki. _Did she die? And the glasses-guy…and the strong guy…what is happening? Their spirits seem to be crumbling away…are we going to lose so quickly?_

"Don't space out on me now," chided Me'epo. "You have severely injured my zanpakuto, and you are still alive. At least pay attention to these, the final words your will hear in life."

_It was over so quickly…I didn't stand a chance from the beginning…_

"Since I have you holding still, I will give you an end fitting of a warrior," declared Me'epo, his voice now turning somber. "Your body will be pierced into death, like the Savior of the Christian faith. Priesthood of the Eighth Heaven, the Eternal Lights of Kliflosises, Seventy-Nine, Crucifix."

--

Ichigo Kurosaki and his foe, the Fallen Holy Michele Revenant appeared simultaneously in the small, barren bowl nestled quite a distance from the others, and Ichigo did not hesitate to strike first. With a shout he rushed the beautiful brunette Holy dressed in a long, black leather gown with broad shoulders, and he slashed his massive zanpakuto down upon her. In response Michele lackadaisically raised her left hand towards the descending blade, and with a crushing wave of impact she stopped Ichigo's blade completely with the palm of her hand.

"Impressive," stated Michele while Ichigo leapt backwards and prepared for a second attack. "Your blade didn't shatter when it hit my skin."

"Sounds like an Arrancar to me!" shouted Ichigo, gearing up and launching once again towards Michele, slashing his zanpakuto down at her – only to be stopped in the same manner as before.

"Didn't you already try that?" asked Michele in a bored tone, and again Ichigo leapt backwards.

"Damn it…" growled Ichigo, but in his mind he knew that this was merely a façade – an attempt to lull his opponent into a false sense of security.

_Both attacks were met by the exact same resistance,_ he thought to himself. _Obviously she isn't an Arrancar; its not her skin that's stopping my blade, it's a release of spirit energy out of her palms to counter the force of my strike. Either that means she is better than Ishida at controlling her reiatsu and as such is predicting my strength, or she is releasing the maximum amount of power she can to stop me. It's not likely the second, so I have to assume she is gauging my strength, in which case…_

Without a second's hesitation Ichigo blasted off into a flurry of slices, cuts, and slashes at Michele, from all conceivable directions. Effortlessly she parried each with her bare hands, a pale blue flash of light erupting from her palms with each strike.

"Take that!" growled Ichigo as he slashed. "And that! And that!"

"What are you, a child?" yawned Michele, her feet not even moving a millimeter during the volley.

"A ha!" laughed Ichigo, and he leapt into the air only to slowly flip around frontwards, giving his zanpakuto Zangetsu even more momentum as he crashed down upon her – his sword, once again, stopped merely by her left hand. With a blue he vanished from above her, reappearing almost instantly several yards away.

"If you're trying to defeat me with boredom, you're well on your way to victory," declared Michele. "I chose you because I thought you would be a fair fight, but it seems that Lillith is right – my ability to detect a person's spiritual power is weak."

"You'd better be careful," cautioned Ichigo with a wry smile.

"Oh?" asked Michele, her eyebrows raised in modest curiosity.

_She's felt my current strength a lot now, so she'll be expecting that same strength the next attack,_ thought Ichigo as he wiped a bead of sweat from beneath his blazing orange hair. _And if she's a poor detector, I might have an opportunity…if I move as fast as I possibly can…_ With that thought, Ichigo raised his sword and pointed it forward.

"BANKAI!" he shouted, and with a burst of black and crimson ribbons of darkness his entire body became hidden from Michele's view – but only for a moment, for as the ribbons of blackness vanished she behold that his form, dress, and face had completely changed. Instead of a plain black kimono, he now wore a handsome, long black gown that flared out majestically, with a handsome white shirt beneath. Zangetsu now took on the form of a jet-black katana from hilt to tip, but his face was beyond different, now covered by a fearsome, horned bone mask rife with crimson and black stripes.

"My my," chuckled Michele as she beheld Ichigo in his Vizard* form. "This is definitely not what I was expecting."

"It's over," declared Ichigo, his voice rattling through his mask, and with unbelievable speed he vanished, flying supersonically towards Michele whose eyes were now open wide with shock. Tensa Zangetsu in hand, Ichigo slashed with all his might at Michele – only to have his attack stopped completely and utterly by Michele's left hand, though the force pushed her into the ground several feet, crushing the earth and forming a large crate where she stood amidst the deafening din of the impact.

"This is power beyond the level of a normal shinigami," said Michele, her voice again sounding bored and her eyes back to their normal, disappointed state. Before her, Ichigo's heart skipped a beat as he realized his all-out attack had down nothing against her.

"But…how…?" he stammered, to which Michele smiled.

"You are worse than I am at sensing a person's strength," she said in a mocking tone. "For that, I will take your sword." Michele closed her fingers across Ichigo's katana, shattering the blade in an instant.

_Zangetsu!!!_ thought Ichigo as he fell backwards, but he barely had time for thinking before Michele's next words left her mouth.

"And that mask is horrifying," said the voluptuous Holy, and her right fist flew forward, crushing Ichigo's head and likewise shattering his Hollow mask. From the force Ichigo flew hard into the dusty, lifeless ground, rolling for several seconds before his wracked body came to a stop.

_My mask…Zangetsu…_

"Let me guess," started Michele, now stepping toward Ichigo as he struggled to stand back up. "You thought you could trick me into thinking your power was at its limit, then defeat me by using your full power – as long as you were fast enough, right? Didn't you learn anything from Lucian and Declan?"

_She's…she's too strong…_ thought Ichigo, finally getting up to his feet, though his body wobbled as he did so from the dizziness cause by Michele's strike. _How could I possibly…?_

"I was once the Commodore of the Seventh Holy Commission!" continued Michele. "Lucian, the honest Lucian, would have had to have told you about who we were, about our strengths compared to yours. Not only that, but I know that you had to have witnessed Declan's Pearl Wind with Esquevedo. Did you honestly think that even the Bankai of a Captain-level shinigami would stand a chance against a Holy? Can you not tell that I have roughly twenty times your reiatsu, and that's without my zanpakuto?"

"Zanpakuto…?" gasped Ichigo, his face instantly rising and gazing towards the unfettered Michele, now only a few yards away from him where she stopped and stood.

"Seems you forgot about that as well," she said disappointedly. "You forgot that a Holy is a precursory state to a shinigami, and that in the Holy state we create our zanpakuto as eternal companions. Of course, you wouldn't remember any of that, which of course is what we and our Lord Ryojin Valhalla are trying to change. If you only could remember, I'm sure this battle would be much fairer – though against Fidèle, you would likely still be defeated." Ichigo winced as a Michele began to laugh, but as she did so he felt a slight disturbance in the spirit surrounding him.

_Inoue?! But how?_

"That lovely woman you were with seems to have perished," observed Michele. "Guro is not one to waste time…and it seems that big guy and the Quincy fellow are in trouble themselves. The other shinigami…Me'epo had better stop fooling around with him. As for you, I think that you are dangerous. As such, I will introduce you to my zanpakuto right now. Fidèle, consume him."

A gray shadow began to materialize beside Michele's lovely body, but before Ichigo could make out a shape it rushed towards him like a laser. Ichigo's neck suddenly felt constricted, as though a pair of hands was choking him, and after several seconds the gray shadow took shape.

"Your soul is mine…" whispered a scratchy, horrifying voice into Ichigo's ear, and Ichigo struggled and turned his head towards the voice, only to see a pair of jet-black eyes set in a shriveled, horrifying, zombie-like face.

_Oh my God…_

--

"Your friends seem to be losing!" called out Shinsei Gotei to Declan Greenleaf, the former panting heavily as he lay upon the ground, his face bloodied and his body bruised. Beyond, Declan stood in a likewise disheveled fashion, though clearly at an advantage over Shinsei. Behind the ailing Fallen One, Mokusei Fugu, the massive blowfish-like zanpakuto of Shinsei, lay deflated and lifeless upon the barren terrain, a huge burn mark gaping across its side.

"You should not speak," commanded Declan, raising his right hand towards Shinsei. "Your zanpakuto has been defeated, and you are on your deathbed. If you give up to me, I will spare both your lives."

"Ha!" laughed Shinsei, coughing up a spurt of blood as he did so. "Mokusei is a noble warrior like myself! We would rather die in battle than be spared by the likes of you!"

"I can grant you that wish, then," said Declan coldly, but before he could speak another word he felt the spiritual vibrations of his fellow prisoners shudder.

_This is bad…_ he thought, losing focus for just a moment. Shinsei, however, noticed Declan's moment of distraction, and with a shout and a great leap the former Commodore flew towards Declan.

"HA HA!!! DIE!!!" shouted Shinsei, his palms flying forward to pierce Declan's body, but to no avail. Declan vanished from before Shinsei's sight, and before he realized it Declan's own hand had broken through Shinsei's chest, bursting and pulverizing his heart with a single strike.

"Forgive me…" said Declan softly to the dying Fallen One.

"Urgh…"sputtered Shinsei, his mouth dripping with blood as he tried to speak. "R…Ryojin…will…be…God…" Shinsei's last words left his lips, and Declan lowered his arm allowing the dead Holy to fall to the ground limp and lifeless, his black garments torn and covered in blood.

"What evil you and your comrades have brought…" sighed Declan in sorrow, and again the perturbations of spirit reached his soul.

_They are dying…_ he thought frantically, turning from side to side as each wave of spirit reached him. _Inoue….Chad…Ishida…Ichigo…Aiseki…don't die…DON'T DIE!!!_ Declan prepared to launch off to the nearest battle – that being Chad's – but before his muscles could react a faint voice captured his senses from within.

_I'm so sorry, Declan…_ said the voice, faint and weak, feminine and sweet, and very, very familiar. _I was afraid, I was weak, and I didn't want to see so many of my zanpakuto friends get hurt. But I will be strong now…I will finally grow up and reveal myself to you, and I will help them remember!_ Declan's eyes widened in unbelievable shock as he heard these words, and without warning a bright light appeared and grew in the air before him. Rapidly the light took shape until it faded, leaving in its place a strange looking – though lovely and beautiful – creature, what looked to be a human woman, though with the ears and tail of a wolf. Her body was draped in fine, silver, silk robes that hung majestically from her shoulders and arms, and Declan gazed with amazement at this new individual as she opened her gray eyes set beneath crimson tattoos on her fair skin.

"Y-you're…" gasped Declan, the words having extreme difficulty leaving his mouth as he fell back onto the ground as he held a trembling finger forward. "You're my…"

"It is I, Natsukisaki," said the zanpakuto girl, who promptly clapped her hands and fingers together in the sign of "ram". "And I will help your friends remember who they really are! Tsuikai!"

**Next chapter: NATSUKISAKI**

**BONUS!** So yeah, kind of a delay between chapters there. Sorry bout that, but hey, I don't get comments on this thing anymore, so it makes it kind of hard to convince myself to write, you know what I mean? Of course, I write because I love it, and there is nothing save a visit from the Grim Reaper (or the hay baler) that can stop me from finishing this story. Comments do make it easier for me to write faster though, since it reminds me that there actually are people who read and enjoy (or hate) this story and that they are anxiously awaiting the next segments.

Now, some business. Earlier in the chapter there was an asterisk (*). If you are unsure of what a Vizard is, then you might want to get caught up on Bleach – same goes for Arrancars.

Lastly, our next Egyptian mythology lesson is the meaning of Kliflosises. I used the phrase "Eternal Lights" in reference to these objects quite literally; the Kliflosises, or Hahkaukobeam, are stellar objects that, according to ancient Egyptian mythology, orbited around the realm of God and transmitted the power of God across the universe by means of stars, thus supplying the earth with God's will and energy. Pretty neat, huh?

And yes, Natsukisaki is a furry.


	27. Chapter 26: Natsukisaki

**CHAPTER 26: NATSUKISAKI**

"Tsuikai!" cried out Natsukisaki, the human-wolf girl standing before the disheveled and astonished Declan Greenleaf as she clapped her hands together.

"R-remembrance…?" stammered Declan, his trembling finger – once pointing in shock towards Natsukisaki – now lowering as he spoke. "Natsu…what is this remembrance?"

"That's right…" sighed Natsukisaki, her hands still set in the sign of "ram". "I never told you my ability, and for this I beg of your forgiveness. You remember, don't you, the days in which you created me?"

"I was nervous," replied Declan to his zanpakuto. "I was afraid that I would make the wrong choice, so I…"

"You left the choice in God's hands," continued Natsukisaki, finishing his statement. "You created my soul, then prayed to God to instill in me the right powers. As a result, you have gone through your life not knowing what I could do; you trained harder than anyone else, you became the single most powerful holy in the ways of personal ability in all history."

"I'm so sorry…" apologized Declan. "I didn't know what to do back then. I…"

"No need for apologies, master," interrupted Natsukisaki with a smile. "For, you see, God answered your prayer. I never knew what my purpose in existence was, but now that I am here, seeing what is going on around me, I now know that God was preparing me for this moment. Now let me show you the glory which is His."

"You can save them?"

"Tsukai, or Remembrance, is not something I give, or even God gives, to strengthen someone," declared Natsukisaki, her body now beginning to glow with a flame-like red aura. "When a soul is created in Jizengensei, it contains tremendous power and energy; similar to atoms and molecules, great energy is required to hold the particles and constructs together. So too is it with the particles of the spirit, and this great energy is what the Holies take advantage of, as well as the Shinigami. However, when a soul goes through pasaje, the spirit is temporarily dispersed, and when it reforms a seal is placed upon it.

"This seal locks away nearly all of one's energy save a twentieth of the original power. However, when one's soul is distressed or pushed to its absolute limit, miracles seem to happen; whether it be an old grandmother lifting a large vehicle off from a child, or the unexplained restoration and rejuvenation of a mortally injured or infected individual, all these miracles are simply the seal on our souls being lifted for just a moment.

"My power, dear Declan, is to forcefully dissolve that seal, so that for this brief moment a soul can remember its true strength. For each the result may be different; for some, they will remember the strength of their immortal soul, thus improving a new, learned ability. For others, it may further their transition into a new creature, or they could even gain a full remembrance of their former strength as a Holy, putting their power on par with even the greatest of Jizengensei's warriors. And for others still, the result may be completely unexpected." With these words, Natsukisaki's body flashed with energy as the crimson wisps of spirit flew off her body as though it were aflame.

"Natsu…" gasped Declan, his eyes wide in astonishment and disbelief as he gazed upon his beautiful zanpakuto in this fluctuating, vibrant, shimmering state.

"Don't worry, Declan," she assured him with a smile. "They will remember, each and every one of them. Now, have faith, and behold His glory! Power in the Heavens, descend upon thy allies! Give strength to those that suffer, bestow courage upon those that fear! Take away the veil of mystery, and grant remembrance to the faithful!"

--  
_For some, they will remember the strength of their immortal soul, thus improving a new, learned ability…_

"Eighty-six," declared Lillith Levesque, her slender hand and finger pointed towards the beleaguered and defeated Uryuu Ishida. "Steel Stalactite." Above Ishida the steel spikes appeared and instantly descended like a bullet towards his head, all while he could do nothing but close his eyes helplessly as his doom was at hand.

_I'm so sorry, everyone…_ thought Ishida, but then something happened that he did not expect. Words crossed his mind as time seemed to slow to a halt, and though at first he couldn't comprehend them, gradually they became clearer and clearer, until at last they sounded as though spoken directly into his ears as a gentle whisper.

_"I'm so proud of you, Uryuu."_

_Ishida lifted his head up and noticed that no longer was he kneeling upon the Plane of Sorrow, but rather a familiar park back in Karakura Town. Beyond ran a brook, complete with comforting sounds of chirping birds and splashing water, and at this moment of surreality, Ishida realized a figure was standing beside him, an arm outstretched to help him up. Upon this realization, Ishida turned and looked upon this newcomer, his jaw promptly dropping tears filling his eyes._

_"Souken…sama…" he gasped, the words barely able to leave his lips as he gazed upon the smiling, kind face of his grandfather, mentor, and greatest friend. "How are you…what is this…?"_

_"Oh Uryuu," sighed Souken, his smile not wavering the slightest. "My how you have grown."_

_"But…" stammered Ishida, still too weak too stand. "You died…how can this be…?"_

_"Uryuu, it is time for you to become strong," said Souken, apparently ignoring Uryuu's confused questioning. "It is time for you to remember."_

_"Remember?" asked Uryuu. "But I don't even know what's going on? Where is Lillith?" At this question Souken's smile disappeared and his eyes opened a little wider._

_"You are trapped within your own soul, Uryuu," he declared strongly. "And you have been your entire life. However, now is the time for you to shake off that seal, and become, for at least a moment, an Eternal Quincy."_

_"Eternal…?" stammered Uryuu. "I've never heard of such a thing…"_

_"Of course not, Uryuu," said Souken with a smile. "But now is not the time for questioning. This poor soul you battle is damned to a life of sorrow, and you alone hold the key to her salvation. Take upon yourself the power of the Eternal Quincy that you are, and free her." At once Souken's body began to grow hazy, and the surroundings likewise faded._

"Wait!" cried out Uryuu. "Grandfather!!! Come back!" His words had no effect, however, and immediately Ishida found himself again kneeling in the Plane of Sorrow, though still Lillith stood before him motionlessly as time continued to hold still. It was at this moment that his grandfather's voice – or maybe someone else's, a woman perhaps – pierced the silence.

_Remember, Uryuu Ishida…_

"I…" started Ishida, closing his eyes and unsure of what to think of all the strangeness around him, but as though a dam of knowledge had been broken in his mind he felt his body become flush with energy, so much so that it felt as though he would burst into a neverending spray of light. Ishida then opened his eyes, the energy radiating out from his irises now aglow with fire.

"I remember…"

Ahead of Lillith the Steel Stalactite crashed into the ground with such force that it shook her several inches into the air, a massive plume of rock and debris sent skyward from the impact.

"It really is too bad…" she said softly, lowering her hand. "I would have enjoyed getting to know a Quincy better, but such is my fate. Come, Voltaire, let us assist Callous." Lillith beckoned for Voltaire to follow, but she turned around only to find Voltaire scowling at the plume.

"Mistress…" he said in a low tone. "Something is wrong…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her tone now annoyed. "That was a Ninth Priesthood; there is no way he could survive that…" Lillith's words faded just as the dust before her, and her words came to a complete and utter stop as she saw Uryuu now standing, the Steel Stalactites shattered upon the ground around him.

"Impossible…!" gasped Voltaire. Uryuu's eyes were closed as he stood, and his appearance seemed to have changed completely. Instead of the plain white tunic and cape, his body featured silver armor of curious workmanship, covering both his shoulders and his entire right arm. Indeed, this was similar to the armor granted him long before in his first sojourn in Soul Society, but on a completely new level. Even as Lillith looked upon this armor, it felt as though her life energy was being stolen away by it, and as she felt this her heart began to pound with terror.

"Voltaire…" she stammered, her eyes widened in fear. Beyond, Ishida took in a deep breath, the ground and air around him shattering into fine shards of light that entered his nostrils and filled his body with light.

"VOLTAIRE!" cried out Lillith again, and without hesitation Voltaire closed his dark eyes and vanished with a spray of light. In Lillith's hand now appeared a fine rapier, and with a cry she lunged at Ishida with her new blade and breakneck speed. The ground beneath her feet shattered as she flew towards her foe, and she thrust Voltaire ahead to run Ishida through – only to find him gone without even a blur.

"Esquevedo did the same thing to his own zanpakuto," called out Ishida from behind Lillith. "Declan though it was so terrible that he instantly killed him; I can only imagine that for you it is a similarly terrible thing."

"What did you do?!" shouted Lillith, her previously calm demeanor now completely shattered. "How did you survive that?!"

"If I knew, I would tell you," replied Ishida calmly. As he spoke, Lillith made another disturbing discovery – all of Ishida's wounds were healed as though they had never occurred at all.

"What is this…?" stammered Lillith. "Your reiatsu…it's like a Holy's…"

"So that's what he meant…" mused Ishida, and he held out his right arm perpendicular to his body. "If so, then I believe we are on equal footing…or are we?" With a burst of light Ishida's Spirit Bow appeared, though now double in size and so radiant that the ground beneath shattered into light just as when he had taken the breath.

"No…" growled Lillith, her anger growing exponentially until at last she could hold it in no longer. "NO!!!" Again she lunged at the Quincy to stab him through with Voltaire, but this time Ishida held his ground and shook his head.

"I was told to set you free," he whispered, drawing his left hand backwards as though holding an arrow in the bow. "I don't know what that means, but I have to think that it means something good, in the end…" Several streaks of bright light surrounded his hand and connected with the cross-like bow, and with a quick flash it was gone.

"What…the…" stammered Lillith as she stopped dead in her tracks. Voltaire fell in pieces from her hands, and her trembling face slowly tilted downward to see a gaping hole in the center of her chest, oblivious to the massive explosion on the hillside behind her from Ishida's arrow.

"Please forgive me…" said Ishida softly, and he turned away from Lillith. "Should we meet again, I hope you thank me."

"I…I don't understand…" sputtered Lillith, her trembling eyes now becoming still. "R-Ryojin…I…don't…understand…" A final breath left her lips with these words, and she collapsed dead upon the ground.

"Tragic…" started Ishida, but as soon as he spoke his body became paralyzed and he likewise fell, every ounce of strength gone from his body and spirit. _I shouldn't be surprised…_ he thought in this helpless and painful state, the searing from his previous wounds now beginning to trickle back in.

_Still…so tragic…_

--

_For others, it may further their transition into a new creature…_

Kyeongseok's first neared closer and closer to Chad as the Fallen Holy sailed effortlessly across the dry, dead valley. This moment was to be Chad's last, and this feeling filled his entire soul in an effort to comfort him.

_Ichigo…please forgive me…_ thought Chad as he closed his eyes. _That fate would lead me here…it makes me sad. There's so much I wanted to do; I really thought that when I woke up here, and saw you there…I really though that we would be okay, but now…_

Chad's train of thought vanished; a feeling of intense power fell over his entire body, a power that he had only felt a few times in his life…

_It isn't over…not yet!_

"DIE!" cried out Kyeongseok, and his fist crashed into Chad's heart sending a wave of shock outward. To Kyeongseok's surprise, however, his fist didn't actually hit Chad's body; instead, his fist rested against a strange silver and red armor, identical in style as that which covered his left arm – though now covering his entire torso, shoulder, and even the left half of his head and face.

"What the…?" asked Kyeongseok as he looked up at Chad's face, which sat in a similar state of shock. "Apparently you aren't at your limit, eh?"

"I guess not," replied Chad curtly, and without hesitation he reeled his left arm backwards to strike Kyeongseok – who was now in a vulnerable position.

"Ha!" laughed the Fallen One. "Even with your new armor, you still are limited to the strength of a hum…GUH!" Chad's fist ratcheted into Kyeongseok's face, blasting the Korean Holy away into the air.

"GAH! DAMMIT!" cursed Kyeongseok as he regained his composure as he flew in the air, now sailing at least a hundred feet into the air. "That kid's got something left in him, all right. But he's still weak, and I'll…"

"I am not weak," interrupted Chad in a cold voice, and Kyeongseok turned his head around only to see Chad flying in the air above him.

"Just die already!" cried Kyeongseok, and with deftness he spun around midair and crushed his shin into Chad's chest on the right side – only to have this side now covered in armor, but black and crimson like his right arm.

"You should give up," said Chad's voice through the horrifying headpiece of the armor, each side a different motif – the left side with a horn and frightening appearance of a devil, and the left with an indifferent, golem-like frown. His eyes were now gone, and his face now appeared more like a two demons – two hollows – pressed together.

"Master…" whispered a voice into the wind, this belonging to Tomeiningen. "I cannot withstand another blow like that…"

"Quiet!" shouted Kyeongseok angrily, launching several more strikes against Chad as the two now crested and began falling towards the Plane of Sorrow below. "I will not be defeated by a human! Master Ryojin gave us power! He gave us strength! He gave us…!"

"I see you will not give up," said Chad, his voice warbled and modified as his words passed through the strange, two-sided mask. "I cannot hold back then. I must defeat you." Chad's armor began to glow and his right fist blasted into Keyongseok's stomach. With a silent cry every bone in Kyeongseok's body shattered, and like a meteor he crashed into the distant earth below. Moments later Chad landed upon the ground near the impact point, and he walked up towards the smoldering remains of Kyeongseok Goh.

"H…heh…" gurgled Kyeongseok with a forced laugh. "You're no human…you're a demon…probably one of Satan's followers…"

"Satan?" asked Chad. "I don't know if such a being exists, but if it did, I would not be on its side."

"B…but you look…you look like a demon of Hell…" stammered Kyeongseok. "You look like one of those people damned by God's 'justice' to live in misery…

"I would think that you would understand," said Chad softly, the armor covering his face and shoulders now beginning to crack. "Being a Holy, you should know so much more than me. But you don't seem to get it."

"And what is that, human…?" growled Kyeongseok as the blood trickles increased from his lips. "What could a human know that I wouldn't?"

"You speak of justice," continued Chad, his armor now breaking and falling off his body. "You speak of the Viajante as a god who will restore this 'justice'…but you don't understand even what the justice of your god is."

"And what is justice then?!" shouted Kyeongseok, his angered voice now filled with sorrow and regret as he screamed. "Sending millions of souls to misery in Hell for eternity? Is that what you call justice?!"

"My abuelo allowed me to suffer because of my mistakes," continued Chad, the armor now completely gone and his body back to its normal state. "I had to learn, and I had to pay a price for my selfishness…it was painful, and frightening, and at times I thought I would die. But he was always there for me, and when he saw that I had learned my lesson, he protected me from then on…" Chad reached into his shirt and pulled out a gold Mexican coin on a chain around his neck.

"My abuelo resides inside of me and gives me strength to protect," continued Chad. "He allowed me to endure justice for my behavior, and then showed me mercy."

"You…" stammered Kyeongseok as he gazed up at Chad's strong, disheveled, and now tear-covered face.

"You give up on your god too quickly," said Chad softly, and he turned around and walked away from Kyeongseok, though not getting far before passing out and falling onto the ground himself. Kyeongseok then turned his face skyward, and with a tear in his eyes gave his final breath as a Holy.

_What a guy…_

--

_They could even gain a full remembrance of their former strength as a Holy…_

"Pitiful," grumbled Guro Murad to her zanpakuto Gunda as she walked away from the pillar of ice encasing Orihime Inoue.

"Those fairies were rather dull," commented Gunda, lifting her spindly trident and placing it on her shoulder as they walked. "When that shield came out, I'm ashamed to say I was impressed, but to see how easily they broke…"

"Gunda, she is dead now," interrupted Guro. "It is not well to speak ill of the dead like this."

"Yes, mistress…" apologized Gunda with a quick bow, but as she did so a crackling sound appeared behind them. "What is this…?"

Deep in the thick ice, Inoue's heart was ready to fail her. Unable to move, breath or even feel, total sorrow had consumed her heart, and she sought more greatly than ever before to perish.

_I failed everyone…_ she thought, her eyes too frozen to shed any tears. _I was worthless, just like always. I deserve this…I deserve to die…_

_"No you don't, Orihime," _interrupted a man's voice, comforting and familiar. _"You have power you do not remember, little sister."_

_Nii-san!_ gasped Inoue in her thoughts. _Nii-san…I failed you too…I failed everyone, and now I'm going to die all alone!_

_"Oh little sister…,"_ continued the voice of Sora, her deceased older brother, the same that had attacked her years before as a hollow. _"You haven't failed. You only have to remember, and you will succeed."_

_Remember…?_ thought Inoue. _What would I remember?_

_"Remember…"_ continued Sora's voice. _"Remember who you truly are."_

_Who I truly am…_ pondered Inoue as Sora's voice faded and vanished. _Who I truly…am…_ As these words crossed her mind her body began to feel warm, a warmth that she had never before felt, and one that filled her entire being with confidence. Around her body the ice began to vanish from the heat, and Inoue's eyes burst with bright, crimson light.

"I remember…" declared Inoue in a soft yet powerful tone. "Ayame, Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily, Shun'o, Tsubaki…I remember!"

The column of ice shattered with a deafening tin, spraying shards of ice in all directions and forcing Gunda and Guro to block their faces with their arms.

"What the hell…?!" cried out Guro, no sooner had she done so than she noticed Inoue standing behind them, the Shun Shun Rikka orbiting her body like electrons around an atom, moving so quickly they could barely be distinguished. Slowly Inoue stepped towards the Fallen One and her zanpakuto, Inoue's irises glowing pink from the excess of energy released from her soul and a cold, almost sorrowful look upon her face.

"Looks like the princess has got some fight in her after all!" exclaimed Gunda. "Excellent! I was starting to feel left out!" Gunda gripped her Trident firmly and charged towards Inoue, but by the time that Guro sensed the extent of Inoue's increase it was too late.

"GUNDA! STOP!!!" screamed Guro just as Gunda stabbed with her trident at Inoue. Instead of piercing her body, the trident crashed into the almost invisible field surrounding Inoue from the movement of the fairies, shattering the weapon is though it was made of glass and throwing Gunda back, where the zanpakuto crashed hard upon the ground. Gunda then vanished into numerous dull particles, all returning to Guro's body, and the latter looked onward with terror.

"Gunda…" she gasped, aghast that her mighty zanpakuto was defeated so quickly and easily. "How did you…what is this…?"

"I do not wish to fight," said Inoue, her voice booming like thunder upon the Plane and forcing every muscle in Guro's body to tense. "But I cannot allow you to stop Lucian. We have to stop the Viajante, and I will not allow you to interfere any further. Soten Kisshun!"

Behind Guro the same translucent, orange triangle appeared, and Guro had half a mind to laugh at Inoue's terrible aim until Inoue spoke again, her voice powerful like demigod.

"Santen Kesshun!" Suddenly Guro's vision became covered in the orange haze as she found herself trapped between the triangle and the ellipse, holding her in place like a coffin.

"You plan on trapping me and leaving me here?!" shouted Guro. "You insult me with your hesitation to fight!" Guro stopped suddenly as she noticed the look upon Inoue's face – not a look of anger, nor pride, nor even indifference, but rather utmost and utter sadness.

"Please, forgive me," declared Inoue, ignoring all of Guro's words. "I do not want to do this, but I must. Tsubaki – Koten Zanshun!"

"Oh dear…" muttered Guro as the final fairy shot across the valley with the appearance of a laser beam, and with a dramatic burst Tsubaki blasted through the barriers, shattering them into millions of glowing pieces while Guro fell limply to the ground in two.

**Next chapter: TSUIKAI**

**BONUS!** Yeah, yeah. One month. Sorry about that. But you may be interested in WHY it took me a month. You see, I am a secret agent. Yes, a secret agent. My car can swim and talk with whales, and my wife is a ninja-trained pirate. And as part of my super secret agent training, I had to go the deep sea pipeline conference in Houston for a few days, present on my graduate…er…secret agent work, come back, finish a crazy assignment…er…assassination, take a stupid test…er…use my manliness to get a sexy agent from another country to give me information, and then take yet another test…er…do the same for yet another sexy agent from another country. But now I am back, the world is safe, and The Viajante goes on! Hurrah!


	28. Chapter 27: Tsuikai

**CHAPTER 27: TSUIKAI**

_And for others still, the result may be completely unexpected…_

Aiseki's soul felt weakened and distraught as he stood helplessly before Me'epo, his body held in place by the shining cords from the ground. To make things worse for the beleaguered shinigami, several vital organs in his body had been practically pulverized by Me'epo's devastating attack, and now Aiseki truly felt that his time was at an end, that his efforts had been fruitless…that he had failed.

"Since I have you holding still, I will give you an end fitting of a warrior," declared Me'epo, his voice somber and cold. "Your body will be pierced into death, like the Savior of the Christian faith. Priesthood of the Eighth Heaven, the Eternal Lights of Kliflosises, Seventy-Nine, Crucifix."

Behind Aiseki a pillar of dark, rotten wood shot up from the ground, branching out into a cross, the arms of which rested at the height of his shoulders. As this cross appeared, his arms felt as though they were being pulled like a marionette as they rose parallel to the cross' arms, and with a thrust his body slammed onto the wooden construct.

"If you find it blasphemous to kill you in this manner, I apologize," called out Me'epo. "I can't help but admit the irony is disgusting; here you are trying to save humanity in your own mind, yet you will suffer the same death as the fabled Savior. But that aside, Crucifix is the most effective, non-destructive method of dispatching an enemy in all the Priesthoods."

"J-Just…" stammered Aiseki, his sight blurring and his body beginning to feel numb from his mortal injuries. "Just get it over with…"

"As you wish," said Me'epo. "The Nails of Judgment…" Around Me'epo several long, steel spikes appeared floating in the air, and like bullets from the barrel of a gun these shot at Aiseki.

"GAH!" cried out the shinigami, the nails having pierced his wrists and ankles, fastening him the cross. In pain Aiseki began to cough and sputter, blood dripping down from the wounds.

"I will ease your passing," said Me'epo, another nail appearing in the air before him, this much larger than the others and guaranteed to deal death. "Farewell, Aiseki Kennomichi. Till we meet again." Me'epo closed his eyes, and the nail flew towards the center of Aiseki's chest.

_Till we meet again…_ thought Aiseki, and he closed his eyes in preparation for death. It was at this moment, however, that a voice in his head appeared, startling him and shaking his senses. It was a woman's voice, one that he had not heard in many, many years…

_"Remember, Aiseki…remember who you really are…"_

"Mom?!" gasped Aiseki, lifting his head – only to find himself no longer on the Plane of Sorrow, but back on the highway of the Malad Pass of southern Idaho. "Where…what the…?" Aiseki looked around in amazement; everything was exactly as it was that day – peaceful, warm, the entire mountain seemingly free from worry or distress. Indeed, all that was missing was the accident, and as Aiseki looked around he felt somewhat grateful that the wreckage was not present. Something was there, however, and Aiseki turned to see his mother from his earthly life, wearing the same sundress as the last time he had seen her. Every detail about her – her short, curled hair, her warm brown eyes, her soft, oval face and lovely, soothing figure – everything was the same as that day.

"Jake," said Aiseki's mother, holding out her arms to son. "Come here, Jake."

"M-Mom…?" stuttered Aiseki, his soul overwhelmed with emotion and his eyes filled with overflowing tears of joy as he ran to his mother and embraced. "Mom…is it really you?"

"Of course, little Jake," she replied.

"This is a dream…" said Aiseki, his face buried into her shoulder as he wept. "You died…and I lost you…none of this makes sense…you couldn't really be Linda…"

"Oh Jake," sighed Linda. "Can you not feel me? Can you not smell and hear me?"

"But how…?"

"God has granted me and several others passage across the void," stated Linda plainly in a sweet voice. "Natsukisaki, the zanpakuto of young Declan Greenleaf, has brought us back for just a moment."

"W-What…?" gasped Aiseki, lifting his eyes and looking into Linda's kind face. "What are you talking about…?"

"I can't give you every detail, because I myself don't fully understand," continued Linda. "But you must remember who you really are, Jake. You must remember, and you must save this poor child." Aiseki was speechless; this couldn't possibly be real, but so much about it screamed out in truth to his heart and soul.

"M-mom," stammered Aiseki. "Child? What child?"

"Me'epo Sripathi," replied Linda, now brushing her hand through Aiseki's hair. "This little child has fallen away from the path, and has cursed his soul to a terrible end. You must remember who you are, Jake, and you must save him. You are the only one who can break him from this terrible path and restore his soul. Please Jake…Aiseki…my time is gone, and I must return. Please save this little child." Linda's body began to fade and disappear, and Aiseki's hold on her became as nothing.

"No!" cried out Aiseki. "No, mom! Please! No!"

_"Remember who you truly are, Aiseki…and save this child…_

The final nail sailed through the air with a frightening scream as it split the air, but stopped mere millimeters from Aiseki's body where it became still and fell to the ground, vaporizing upon impact with the lifeless dirt below.

"What the…?" asked Me'epo, but his rambling was interrupted by a low, rumbling voice from Aiseki, whose head hung down still, his face covered in tears.

"Re…mem…ber…" he said slowly, his voice starting as a whisper and gradually growing to a yell. "Remember…I…I…"

"What is happening?" asked Me'epo, his zanpakuto Sharresh walking over to his side.

"Me'epo…?" started Sharresh, but before she could say any other words Aiseki's voice rang out across the little valley.

"I REMEMBER!"

Behind him, the wooden cross shattered, the nails along with it, and Aiseki stretched his body as though having awoken from a nap. As he did so, pulses of energy swept away from him in all directions, pushing Me'epo backwards against the onslaught of wind and dust. After a moment this calmed, however, and Me'epo looked up to see Aiseki standing still upon the plain, his head still lowered as the shinigami spoke out.

"Me'epo…" started Aiseki. "I think I understand you a little more now."

"And why is that?" replied Me'epo, his voice proud but his mind troubled. _Something is wrong…he feels like…like a Holy?! And his wounds…they've healed?!_

"I know what it's like to feel lost and alone," continued Aiseki, Awaregeken vanished from the ground several meters away and reappearing in Aiseki's hands. "And I know what it's like to feel abandoned. I can now tell you that you are not alone – but in order to free you, I must end your life as a Holy."

"What…" growled Me'epo. "You insult me! Master Valhalla has never abandoned me, and has always stood with me! This is beyond idiotic!" Me'epo then begun to laugh a rude chortle, but Aiseki's comportment did not change.

"I'm not talking about the Viajante…" replied Aiseki softly. "I have been entrusted to save you, and to do so, I will have to abandon my fears." Aiseki grasped his sheathed katana, his left hand upon the scabbard, his right upon the sealed handle.

"You finally ready to fight for real, now?" asked Me'epo, his tone changing from comical to serious and intrigued.

"I will tell you about me," began Aiseki. "I have always been afraid of death; I could never get my mind around the idea of killing another living creature, and that mindset is shared by my zanpakuto, Awaregeken. Neither of us can withstand the thought of taking life; and as such Awaregeken forcibly seals his blade away so that neither of us can use it. When I learned Shikai, I knew what its potential was, and that frightened me. In this state of mind, I never have fully released my Shikai…but now, I must. Drown out their sorrows, Awaregeken." Aiseki pulled against the handle of Awaregeken, and with a bright burst the seal upon the sword broke, blinding Me'epo and Sharresh for a moment.

"What is with this guy?!" asked Me'epo as he shielded his eyes, but when the flash was gone and his eyes returned to Aiseki, his heart began to race. "This…this is a Shikai?!"

"Ookami, Awaregeken," declared Aiseki. In his right hand he held a katana, seemingly no different than any other katana – but in his left hand the sheath had now transformed. In the place of the boring, bland scabbard was a long, six-foot staff of twisting black and white painted wood, the top of which resembled a delicately carved wolf's head, the snout snarling and the sharp teeth bared.

"Me'epo," declared Sharresh proudly despite the image presented before her. "Please forgive me for becoming weak; I will tear his arms off now and destroy him – then we can go help Lord Callous." Sharresh instantly vanished as she flew towards Aiseki from behind, but before she could grasp his limbs the shinigami turned his head, his eyes meeting Sharresh's.

"Not this time," he said softly, and Sharresh's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no!" she gasped, but by that moment it was too late as Aiseki rammed the wolf staff into her chest with unbelievable force, the detestable sound of cracking bones littering the air. With the same speed as her approach, Sharresh flew backwards limply and crashed into the ground rolling to a stop and ceasing to move.

"SHARRESH!" cried out Me'epo, and once again he began to run towards his injured zanpakauto, but this time Aiseki stopped him.

"You do not need to go to her," he said coldly, his voice low and somber. "There is nothing you can do for her now. Once struck by Ookami, she lost all her energy to him; take her back into your soul, that when you perish she will go with you." Me'epo trembled as he looked with horror upon his zanpakuto, lying motionless as if dead upon the ground, then towards the wolf's head upon the staff. The expression had now changed; instead of appearing fearsome, the wolf's face had taken upon it a joyful look, with an open mouth and happily protruding tongue. Me'epo's face, however, turned to anger, his eyes scowling and his teeth clenched as Sharresh vanished into millions of shining specks that returned to Me'epo's body.

"I will kill you…" growled the Holy. "I will kill you for this!" With these words Me'epo again raised his hands to declare a Preisthood, but before he could speak Aiseki's took a breath and spoke.

"No…" said Aiseki softly, his grip on the katana tightening. "You won't." In an instant Aiseki vanished, and Me'epo's expression turned instantly from anger to mild shock, his eyes now widened in curiosity, his mouth slightly open with question. Behind, Aiseki appeared, the staff already reverted back into a sheath, and he promptly replaced the katana, the seal once again forming between the handle and the sheath.

"So…" said Me'epo slowly. "This is what it is like?" As though his torso was a geyser, blood sprayed out wildly from a slash stretching from his left shoulder to his right hip, and Me'epo fell to his knees as his blood rained upon the ground around him.

"While Ookami draws energy, Awaregeken, the blade, takes life," declared Aiseki. Now then, Me'epo…be free, and find your way back to the righteous path." Me'epo's eyes became still, and the Holy fell dead onto his stomach, immediately after which Aiseki himself collapsed to the ground several yards away.

_Mom…I did it…_

--

Elsewhere, Ichigo Kurosaki found himself upon the precipice of defeat after Michele Revenant shattered both Zangetsu and his Hollow mask. As he struggled to stand, however, a horrible feeling overcame his soul, and instantly he knew that something was wrong with Inoue.

"That lovely woman you were with seems to have perished," observed Michele. "Guro is not one to waste time…and it seems that big guy and the Quincy fellow are in trouble themselves. The other shinigami…Me'epo had better stop fooling around with him. As for you, I think that you are dangerous. As such, I will introduce you to my zanpakuto right now. Fidèle, consume him."

A gray shadow began to materialize beside Michele's lovely body, but before Ichigo could make out a shape it rushed towards him like a laser. Ichigo's neck suddenly felt constricted, as though a pair of hands was choking him, and after several seconds the gray shadow took shape.

"Your soul is mine…" whispered a scratchy, horrifying voice into Ichigo's ear, and Ichigo struggled and turned his head towards the voice, only to see a pair of jet-black eyes set in a shriveled, horrifying, zombie-like face.

_Oh my God…_ thought Ichigo, his heart skipping a beat and his eyes becoming wide with absolute fear. Without hesitation, Fidéle grasped Ichigo's neck, intensifying the already present strangling sensation, and Ichigo found himself unable to breathe. In desperation he grabbed the zanpakuto's hand, but as he did so he made a realization – Fidéle was not physically strangling him; his grip upon Ichigo's neck wasn't even tight. Yet despite this fact, Ichigo felt the life being drained from his soul, and as he became weaker he made another realization – Fidéle, who first appeared as a horrifying, deathly, withered creature, was now becoming and looking younger by the second.

"You see it already, do you?" chimed Michele, stepping towards the enfeebled and weakening Ichigo. "Fidéle was designed after a study on a curious race called the Bount; while studying in school, I found these souls to be unique and powerful. To think, a spirit that can replenish itself by sucking and consuming the life energy of another spiritual construct. Obviously, he cannot consume the core of your spirit, but once your spiritual body is eaten, you will die and be forced to pass on."

Below, Ichigo's skin was becoming stretched and leathery, as though he were aging decades in seconds; meanwhile, Fidéle's appearance was now that of a middle-aged man dressed in tattered rages with a head full of brown, wiry hair and dark, cold brown eyes.

"S-Stop…" stammered Ichigo, but his words were of no use.

"He is almost dead," said Fidéle, his voice now a full and rich bass. "Thank you for the meal, mistress."

"Anything for you, my loyal zanpakuto," replied Michele with a smile.

_All my strength…vanished…_ thought Ichigo as he stood limply upon weakened legs like twigs in fortitude. _Every bone…brittle like dried bread…every ounce of energy…lost…to think I would die like this…I don't like it…_

_"Of course not,"_ said a voice in his mind, that of a man, kind, gentle, yet strong and energizing. _"You've always insisted on going down with a fight, even from your creation so long ago."_ Ichigo did not recognize this voice, however, despite the incredible nostalgia and comfort it gave his soul.

_Who are you?_ asked Ichigo in thought, to which the man's voice chuckled gently.

_"You are Ichigo Kurosaki,"_ continued the voice, ignoring Ichigo's question. _"You're mother, Masaki, wishes she could be here, but I am here in her place to tell you to remember. Remember, Ichigo! Remember who you are, who you were, and who you forever will be! And please, I beg of you, give this child rest from this awful consignment."_

The voice vanished and did not speak again, and Ichigo felt confused as could be at its message, but inside the depths of his soul something felt different. It was as though all the weights in the world were simultaneously lifted from his shoulders, and a veil was lifted from his eyes, filling his soul with warmth and power as though emerging from a dark cellar to greet the noonday sun.

"Now then, finish it, Fidéle," said Michele lackadaisically. "I sense trouble with Callous…Fidéle?" Michele looked back at her zanpakuto, only to gasp in shock.

"FIDÉLE! LET GO OF HIM!"

Before her eyes, Fidéle had become small like a little child, his appearance growing younger and younger, his face horrified as he diminished. Beside him, Ichigo's body was regaining its youth, and before Michele could physically remove Fidéle's hand her zanpakuto burst into a spray of glimmering particles, all of which returned hastily to Michele's body.

"You…you…" stammered Michele, her face trembling as she attempted to grasp some of the particles unsuccessfully. "How did you…?" In an instant she stopped speaking, her rage now replaced with utter and unmatched amazement as her eyes moved towards Ichigo. His appearance had completely changed in that moment her eyes had left him; no longer was he dressed in black, but rather his raiment had become a bleached white of impeccable radiance and cleanliness. His body radiated with reiatsu, so much so that Michele felt as though she were being suffocated by his presence, and had to release as much of her own spirit pressure as she could to counter it.

_This isn't right…_ she thought as she struggled to keep her strength and composure before this transformed version of Ichigo. _This is impossible…this pressure, it is comparable to Commodore El-Gendy! What is going on?!_

"I remember…" started Ichigo, his voice sounding surprisingly content. "I remember who I am, who I was. I remember everything." Before him, Michele began shaking her head in disbelief as her eyes widened in terror.

"I am a former Head Commodore of Jizengensei."

"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!" screamed Michele, her face wracked in rage and her hair becoming erratic as her spirit energy flooded out of her body, causing the ground all across the valley to crackle as though electrified. "Your soul was sealed in pasaje! You cannot regain your former strength until the Eternal Realm! How is this happening? I refuse to accept this!!!"

"The man in my mind asked me to free you," continued Ichigo, unfazed by Michele's outburst. "I can only assume that means I have to allow you to pass on to the Mortal Realm, since you have locked yourself into this damnation."

"Like hell you will!" countered Michele. "Fidéle, I command you to become my sword!" Michele's body suddenly lurched forward as though in pain, her eyes squinted and her teeth clenched, and with the appearance of her body rejecting an evil spirit the same shimmering particles from Fidéle emerged out of every pore, reforming themselves into the shape of a fine, golden katana.

"How could you do such a horrible thing?" asked Ichigo, shocked by Michele's brazen display and torture of her zanpakuto. "Do you not know such action can kill and likely will kill Fidéle?"

"Ryojin will become God!" shouted Michele in retort. "Even if Fidéle dies now, Ryojin, the Viajante, will bring him back to me! And even if you are a former Commodore, you've been stuck in isolation for years, while I have become even stronger under Ryojin's watch and tutelage!" With wild and unpredictable movements, the sufficiently disheveled and unhinged Michele tore towards Ichigo, swinging her katana to cut him through.

"This is a poor choice," cautioned Ichigo as he deftly and easily dodged each of her wild slashes.

"Shut up!" cursed Michele as she continued her flurry of attacks. "You cannot stop the new God, and you cannot stop me! I will kill y…!" With a powerful sliced her golden katana form of Fidéle struck Ichigo's side – and promptly shattered in the same fashion as Zangetsu before, the shards and broken pieces flying off in all directions with a sharp din of cracking steel.

"This is why I warned you," continued Ichigo.

"Wh..why…?" stammered Michele, now seemingly caught between overwhelming emotions of murderous rage and abject terror. "Why is this…?"

"How can one become strong when one departs from the path of Holiness?" asked Ichigo, to which Michele's eyes felt they would burst out in unadulterated hatred.

"DIE YOU SON OF A…" cried out Michele, launching into a final act of desperation seeking to punch her hand through Ichigo's heart, but she could not complete her words nor stop her momentum as she beheld a sword forming in Ichigo's hand.

"I must free you," said Ichigo calmly. "Death is not an end, but a necessary and wonderful allowance of progression. Without it, we cannot become what we were destined to become. Now then, please accept this, and when we meet again, I will embrace you as a sister of Holiness. Zangetsu Kagirinai…"

The sword in Ichigo's hand completed its reformation, bearing a resemblance to Tensa Zangetsu, though white and shimmering with power and, to Michele's surprise, spirit pressure of unmatched kindness. And without even a blink it was over, Zangetsu Kagirinai having pierced her heart almost as an afterthought, Michele's final thoughts crossing her mind as darkness overcame her.

_Ryojin…I don't understand? I thought you were going…to…save…me…_

"Farewell, Commodore Revenant," said Ichigo solemnly, afterwhich his raiment vanished, leaving him again in his typical black shinigami's kimono, while Zangetsu retracted into his normal, claw-like blade. Ichigo then immediately collapsed, his body weakened to the point of unconsciousness, though Ichigo knew that both he and Michele would now be all right.

_She's free now,_ thought Ichigo, hoping that the voice that had addressed him earlier was listening. _Now please, help the others._

**Next chapter: THE FINAL ACT OF CALLOUS DEPARDIEU**

**BONUS!** While I write this, my stomach is trying to escape my body after a poor choice of a meal from the university cafeteria. What a way to enjoy Spring Break, right?


	29. Chapter 28: The Final Act of Callous

**CHAPTER 28: THE FINAL ACT OF CALLOUS DEPARDIEU**

"GYAAAAH!" cried the spindly Callous Depardieu as he thrust his fist towards Lucian Francis' face, a volley of razor-sharp feathers immediately following from behind as the two Holies battled fiercely upon the empty and barren Plane of Sorrow. Lucian, however, was quick, as he had been all during their fight, not only dodging deftly Callous' strike but also deflecting each and every projectile from Seraphim's wings.

"Grrr…AGAIN!" screamed Callous as Lucian leapt backwards to distance himself. Both warriors were bloodied and beaten, a trickle of blood here and there, staining Lucian's white garments and sullying Callous' black leather gown. Behind, Seraphim raised his majestic white wings and flapped them violently fast, spraying the air with feathers like bullets – only to have the same effect as before. Ahead of Lucian a field of glowing red spheres appeared in line of each and every destructive feather, and the moment one touched these spheres its path was deflected, leaving Lucian unscathed.

"Thank you, Cerillius," offered Lucian to his beautiful red-haired zanpakuto who was standing several meters away from the fray.

"Anything for you, Master," replied Cerillius, to which Callous sneered.

"It appears we are at an impasse!" called out Callous rather pompously. "Here we've battled for minutes already, yet neither has the advantage on the other."

"And what makes you think that?" asked Lucian, wiping a trickle of blood from his forehead. "You are in much worse shape than I am, Callous. You've grown slow over these last twenty years."

"Heh…" grunted Callous, likewise wiping a stream of blood from his face, this emanating from his mouth. "You speak so confidently; you do realize that I can hold my ground against Jigenseisokuka, the zanpakuto of your teacher? Do you think that you are more skilled than he, the great Ryojin Valhalla?"

"I cannot say," replied Lucian. "I have not seen Ryojin in battle since the fall of Jizengensei, and there I was stabbed in the back, so to speak, thus preventing me from fighting. However, you would be wise to heed my observation: you have become slow, Callous, and you are about to be defeated by my hand." Callous stood silently for a moment, gazing at Lucian with a confused look upon his face that slowly morphed into one of excessive ridicule.

"HA!" chortled Callous rudely in his shallow, scratchy voice. "Lucian the Honest, speaking truth with every breath! You fooled me once before, boy – I won't be fooled again! If I was so slow, then how come you didn't just kill me from the start like you did to Stephen? The fact is you are bluffing; you never were good at lying."

"I have been distracted," replied Lucian. "I will not break the rules of battle, but I have been unfortunately paying far too much attention to the other battles around us. After all, if they fail, I fail."

"You are bluffing," repeated Callous. "Go ahead and admit your fear, Lucian. No matter, though; it will all be over for you very soon. You see, Ryojin has helped us unlock power and potential you and the other Commodores never even dreamed of. Perhaps…perhaps I should show you part of that now." Callous again began to laugh heavily, his whole body shaking with every belting.

_What is this dread I feel?_ thought Lucian as Callous carried on with his rude chuckle. _The others…they seem to be fading away._

"I see fear has escaped your impenetrable façade," declared Callous as he looked upon Lucian's concerned face. "Give in and perish, Lucian. Allow me to end your fear and your life. Behold, my power! Seraphim, L'Union Angelique!"

"Of course, master," declared the angel-like Seraphim with a bow of the head. Seraphim then hovered towards Callous, and without a sound the two collided – though instead of one bumping the other over, Seraphim began to merge into Callous' body.

"What…?" gasped Lucian, his muscles tightening as he realized what was happening. "Y…you are merging…with your zanpakuto?"

"Yes," replied Callous cruelly, the merging now almost complete. "Master Valhalla had a theory some time ago about the nature of the relationship between a soul and its zanpakuto companion. You see, from time to time we've seen the natural union of a shinigami to its zanpakuto, though the result is always disastrous for both parties. However, despite the bad ending always associated, it seemed to be a type and shadow of the future. It is our theory therefore that the union is indicative of the relationship we have in the Eternal Realm."

"Callous…" stuttered Lucian, his eyes now wide with disbelief at what he was seeing. "Callous this is madness…"

"Heh," grunted Callous with a brief chuckle. "Perhaps it is. But regardless, I am closer to that realm than you ever could imagine, young Lucian. You see, if God and his zanpakuto are one…then I am like unto God himself!" Callous' emphatic declaration echoed across the tiny valley as he stood with his arms and face reaching towards the empty, black sky. Beyond, sweat drizzled down Lucian's face, his entire body trembling as he looked upon his transformed foe. Callous now stood several feet taller than before, his body covered in glorious, shimmering armor, two large magnificent wings – far more glorious than Seraphim's – protruding from his shoulder blades. Even his general appearance had been altered, his spindly nature now replaced with a younger, more robust form, though his eyes remained cold and dark, filled with the hatred and darkness of years of rebellion.

"Now, young Lucian, you will perish," stated Callous coldly, his voice reverberating and shaking Lucian to the core. Lucian, however, wiped his forehead with his sleeve, took a couple deep breaths, and looked back up towards Callous with confidence in his whole demeanor.

"I will not," he replied curtly. "I cannot."

"Very well," grumbled Callous, scowling his eyebrows as he spoke, and with that he vanished without even a blur.

"What the…?" started Lucian, but before he could even complete the thought a crushing blow came from behind, blasting into the small of his back and sending the Holy flying. "GYAH!"

"Notice anything different? HA!" mocked the transformed Callous as Lucian rolled and rolled, not coming to a stop for nearly a hundred yards, where he slowly got to his hands and knees.

_So many bones…so many organs…_ thought Lucian as he coughed up a large puddle of blood. _He's fused together the power of Seraphim to his own soul. This cannot be good for the little zanpakuto…I must free him…_

"You're probably thinking 'I couldn't even see him! Me, a powerful Commodore of the Thirteen Holy Commissions couldn't see him move!' HA!"

_He wasn't always like this…_ continued Lucian in thought as he struggled but successfully got to his feet, Cerillius now running towards him with distress in her lovely eyes. _Callous was once a fortress of humility, a lighthouse for all those who were weighed down with self-pity. He was once a hero…but now…_

"Oh?" asked Callous in a loud, mocking tone. "You were able to stand after that blow? Your kidneys and intestines have been ruptured with that one attack; even though you're a Holy, in this world of Ryojin's you will die like a regular human."

"Like I told you, I will not, and I cannot," retorted Lucian, clutching his lower left side in pain as Cerillius finally reached and stood next to him. "There is too much at stake; Cerillius and I will prevail – not for our own glory, but for your salvation, Callous, and the salvation of all the Fallen Ones." These words struck Callous to his core and set off a chain of emotions that spiraled out of control within him.

"You…" growled Callous, his demeanor becoming increasingly enraged. "You self-righteous bastard! Who are you to give out salvation? Ryojin will become God, and he will ensure that all will be saved, every one! I have devoted my existence to that goal, and I will not allow you, Lucian Francis, to stop him!"

"I must stop him," replied Lucian. "And to do it, I will use the extent of my priesthood power to defeat you." Callous' face turned immediately from rage to complete and utter shock, which after several seconds exploded into laughter.

"You, Lucian, use priesthood power to defeat me? HA!" Callous' entire body began to shake with rude, coarse laughter, all while Lucian's demeanor remained confident and unchanged. "You think you can fool me? I know all about your abilities with the priesthood, Lucian. I know that you can barely use the simplest of offensive priesthoods, and nothing beyond seventy! What can you do to break me?"

"It is true that I am weak in the priesthoods," agreed Lucian. "And because of that, I spent all my days as a Holy and Commodore to perfect just one single technique. You see, in the last two hundred years only one Holy – Commodore El-Gendy – has been able to master all one hundred priesthoods, while any other has, at most, mastered only ninety-nine. Do you know what that elusive priesthood is, Callous Depardieu?" At once Callous' laugh vanished, replaced with an equally impressive and stunning silence only broken by a single phrase.

"Oh no…" Callous immediately leapt through the air with the same speed as before, his fists ready to break all life out of Lucian's body before the damaged Holy could speak – but he was already too late.

"Priesthood of the First Heaven, the Telestial Realm of Earth, Number One…"

_No! I must kill him! I am a servant of Ryojin Valhalla, the new God of the universe!_ Callous threw his fist forward, connection and destruction of Lucian only millimeters away.

"Armor of God."

Callous' fist collided with Lucian, and a massive burst of energy and force carved out a thirty-foot crater with a devastating explosion of dirt and smoke, sending a mushroom cloud high into the air. _I think I made it in time…_

"No, you didn't," said Lucian's voice from within the dense ash and dust, and as it settled Callous' eyes widened in horror. What he thought was Lucian's face was actually a large shield, though now Lucian's entire body had taken on a different appearance.

"Impossible…" stammered Callous as he looked upon Lucian. "No one has been able to conjure enough spiritual energy…how is this…?"

"It is what I devoted my life towards," replied Lucian from behind a massive, gold-and platinum helmet, a large golden piece covering his nose and molded wings of silver rising up from the sides. His entire body was covered in a similar motif; his chest donned an impressive platinum breastplate molded with gold inlay, his loins, arms, and legs armored with the equal. In his left hand Lucian held a shield as tall as he, decorated with a glorious golden image of a proud eagle, not even a scratch showing from Callous' attack. Immediately Callous flapped his wings and leapt backwards, a look of hatred and disgust building upon his face.

"You are more prideful than ever, Lucian," growled Callous. "The audacity to call upon the power of God himself when one is as weak in the priesthood as you…"

"This is my first time successfully calling all elements of the armor together," said Lucian, taking a brief moment to admire the beautiful armor now donning his body. "And now, your time as a Holy is over, Callous."

"Like hell it is! You still can't match the speed of L'Union Angelique!" shouted Callous, and again he disappeared to attack. _I've got him this time._ Surely enough, Callous' movement was faster than Lucian's, and Callous struck Lucian in the back – yet, despite the massive force Callous pounded into the younger Holy, Lucian did not move, not even an inch.

"I told you," said Lucian, looking over his shoulder at the shocked and horrified Callous. "It's over." With a spin Lucian turned and grabbed Callous' neck with his right hand.

"You barbaric…" said Callous, struggling for breath as Lucian lifted him up in the air. "You barbaric bastard! You plan on crushing my neck like a devil?"

"No," replied Lucian, whom Callous now noticed had a tear in his eye beneath the helmet. "I will dispatch your honorably, like the Hollow that infest the Afterlife. You, like they, will be given a second chance at salvation. Cerillius…" The red-haired zanpakuto leaped into the air from behind Lucian, and gave out a cry as she rapidly descended.

"Dimensional Blade!"

_But…you promised me, Ryojin. You promised me…_

_We all knew what we had done was in violation to God's law…but we had gone so far, we could not turn back. Even as we fell from the heights of the walls, a struggle in all our minds between relegating ourselves to a diminished fate and fighting the system raged on, but you, Ryojin…you were the one guiding light, the beacon on the hilltop. You showed us love that we had never seen in Jizengensei, nor felt from a God. You were our God, right from that moment…_

_"Is everyone all right?" asked the voice of Ryojin as Callous slowly opened his eyes to a sky of utter blackness. Callous then sat up, seeing Ryojin helping the others up from similar states as his own. "I'm…I'm so sorry…" Ryojin's façade was fallen and dejected, and as Callous regained lucidity the weight of reality came crashing down upon his soul._

_**We were cast into the wasteland…Ryojin saved us?**_

_"Commodore Valhalla…where are we?" asked Guro Murad in a weak voice. "Are we in Jigenseisokuka's world?"_

_"Yes, Officer Murad," replied Ryojin, his expression unchanged. "I've brought you here to prevent you from losing your powers as Holies…"_

_"But they've already sealed our fates," interrupted Commodore Michele Revenant as she sat up. "I can feel it; our ability to undergo pasaje has been stripped from our souls. It would have been better just to have withered away in the wasteland than endure a pointless existence."_

_"I will save you!" shouted Ryojin, startling everyone in the party, Michele especially. "I will not give up, and I will save you all!" Ryojin's words were piqued and almost angry, and he turned and walked away from the group and disappeared behind a nearby hilltop._

_"Ryojin, wait!" called out Callous, and the spindly commodore got to his feet and ran off, leaving the others behind in a bewildered state. Callous continued his pursuit over the hilltop, and upon reaching the crest he looked down and saw Ryojin upon his knees. As he cautiously approached, it became clear that Ryojin was weeping bitterly, his tears soaking the lifeless grey earth beneath him._

_"I am so sorry, Commodore Depardieu," stammered Ryojin as Callous neared. "I will not rest until I have saved you, this I promise."_

_"Ryojin…" replied Callous softly as Ryojin continued to weep._

_The next twenty years you held true to your intentions, seeking out every possible route of lifting the curse placed upon us, yet nothing could restore our ability to pass through a peaceful pasaje. But it was then, near the end of our sojourn in the Plane of Sorrow, as you came to call it, that you found the key to our salvation…_

_"The Realms of Existence are held intact by thirteen spiritual keys," declared Ryojin to the nine Fallen Ones, all ten gathered around a table in their lavish underground palace, this built shortly after their marooning. "I intend to capture these keys."_

_"What would you do with them?" asked Lillith Levesque._

_"When removed from their realm, that same realm will become unstable and collapse into nothingness," continued Ryojin. "At that point, the barrier between that realm and the adjacent realms becomes weak and fluid, allowing us to pass through unhindered."_

_"So you plan on destroying Jizengensei?" asked Stephen Cusack. "A fitting revenge for what they did to us…"_

_"No," replied Ryojin rather sharply. "I will preserve the worlds here in Jigenseisokuka's power."_

_"But what good is that?" retorted Kyeongseok Goh. "Those devils cursed us, and you wish for them to live?"_

_"You are not thinking complete enough," continued Ryojin. "With that barriers all but gone, there is nothing to stop me from entering the Eternal Realm of the gods." A silence permeated the chamber as these words left Ryojin's lips, and after several minutes Esquevedo Veracruz spoke up._

_"You plan on killing God," said the young Holy. "And taking his place. Then you can impose your will and save all souls."_

_"Very wise, as always," said Ryojin proudly. "Remember my friends, I do not wish to destroy souls, but rather to save them. The only way to do this, however, is to kill the unjust God. His will is preventing knowledge between the Jizengensei and Mortal Realms, and if I can supplant that will with my own, we can prevent this loss. Think of it, brethren…think of what we can do!"_

_You held true to your will; soon Jizengensei was fallen, and soon after the Mortal World as well. Victory was in sight, and it seemed nothing could stop us…nothing until now. You lied to me, Ryojin. You promised you'd save me, but now it seems that Lucian is the one to break me out of my eternal prison. You knew that Holies cannot commit suicide, and you strove to ensure our survival. But…but maybe you did save us. After all, are we not being released? Who knows…but Ryojin, should you succeed, please…please save us again…_

Cerillius' tiny, slender body landed upon her feet between Callous and Lucian, and quickly ran off to the side. Callous' face was locked in a look of shock and a large crack running from the top of his head to his legs, and with a bright burst his wings and armor melted away with a flash, leaving his normal spindly body in Lucian's armored hand. The Holy then gently lowered the bloodied Callous to the ground, where the Fallen One sputtered blood with every breath. His body hadn't been bifurcated, instead all the damage being done internally by Cerillius' strike, and Lucian knelt down next to him, his armor likewise disappearing and leaving Lucian in his regular form.

"It's over now, Callous," said Lucian softly. Below, Callous beckoned for Lucian, and the latter leaned closer despite the agonizing pain such movement caused him.

"L…Lucian…" stammered Callous in a very faint whisper, almost inaudible even in the silence of the Plane of Sorrow. "You know…you know how to escape this dimension…don't you?"

"Yes," replied Lucian. "But…"

"But you aren't sure how exactly to bring about the energy you need," interrupted Callous. "With this, I can help you. It is the only way." Suddenly Lucian felt a pierce and incredible burning rush of pain flood his body, and he looked down only to see a blade stuck into his gut by Callous' hand.

"What…why…?" started Lucian, his blood now leaking out from the stab wound and falling onto Callous' body.

"This is the same blade you were supposed to defeat El-Gendy with," said Callous, a smile upon his face. "I would be lying if I said I hadn't wanted to do this for decades, but now you can do it, Lucian; there is no other way. With your zanpakuto, you can…do…" A final breath escaped Callous' lips before he became silent, and as he became limp his hand fell along with the blade, and Lucian fell back clutching the wound that was rapidly staining his garment crimson.

"Lucian!" cried Cerillius, running and kneeling next to her wounded master. "Lucian, what happened? You're hurt!" Tears began streaming down the young zanpakuto's face as she held her hands near the wound, and pale green glow surrounding them and his wound. Slowly the bleeding began to stop, and Lucian looked up into Cerillius' kind, swollen red eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cerillius," said Lucian as she healed the stab wound. "But this wound is more than just physical. It has to be this way, though; Callous is right – there is no other way, and I need you to be with me."

"What are you talking about…?" started Cerillius, a confused look upon her youthful face, but she trailed off as Lucian leaned upon and whispered into her ear.

"W…what?" gasped Cerillius as Lucian leaned back down to the ground. "But…"

"There is no other way," he said again, and Cerillius' shock slowly faded, whereupon she nodded in agreement.

"I understand." Cerillius then took Lucian's hand into hers as he closed his eyes in rest, a single tear escaping his eye and trailing down his cheek.

Guro Murad slowly opened her eyes to an orange haze and a peculiar ringing sound.

"Am I dead…?" she asked slowly. "I didn't think it would…be…" slowly her words trailed as she realized that she was trapped within Orihime Inoue's Santen Kesshun, and she turned her head to see the same Inoue kneeling beside the shield.

"You're finally awake," said Inoue with a smile, though her appearance was very disheveled from their earlier battle.

"What…why…? asked Guro slowly, now realizing that the bottom half of her body was now again attached to her torso. "No…I don't want this…"

"But…" started Inoue, but before she could say another word Guro's fist crashed though the shield, shattering it and leaving her exposed upon the ground.

"Stop this…" stammered Guro, her voice weak and frail.

"No!" exclaimed Inoue frantically. "You're not healed enough yet! You'll die!"

"That's what I want…" continued Guro. "You don't understand, do you, Orihime? I was cursed never to die, never to progress. But you – you gave me a chance to move on. Please don't turn around and take that chance from me."

"But…" argued Inoue, but she could not find and words to say.

"Please, Orihime," pleaded Guro, her voice becoming weaker by the second. "Please, let me die, and don't be sad." Despite her request, Inoue could not stop the flood of tears from her eyes, and the young redhead began to weep as Guro slowly passed away.

"G…good bye…" stammered Inoue through her tears. "Have a good life…" These attempts of pleasant words failed her, unfortunately, and the weeping continued for several minutes as she knelt near Guro's dead body until a voice interrupted her.

"Orihime," said the Holy Declan Greenleaf as he appeared from atop a small hill behind her. "The others need you." Inoue rubbed her eyes and stood up, looking back once at the fallen Guro, then immediately running after Declan.

It did not take long to return to the others, and when they did Inoue gasped; everyone without exception was gravely injured and bloodied, and Cerillius' attempt to heal them all was taking far too long. Without a second though Inoue rushed first to Chad's side and immediately initiated Santen Kesshun, after which she proceeded to Ishida, Aiseki, and then Ichigo.

"I'm glad you're safe, Inoue," said Ichigo as she healed him. "I didn't think you were the fighting-type though…"

"I couldn't let everyone down," she said sheepishly. "I wanted to do my best, and I knew that there was no way around it. But…" Suddenly Inoue's thoughts turned back to Guro's last words. _She wanted this…don't feel sad, Orihime. Don't feel said for someone's happiness._

"I…Inoue?" asked Ichigo, his face filled with concern as Inoue snapped back to reality. "Are you all right?"

"Oh! Yes, I am very fine!" she exclaimed exuberantly. "Nothing wrong with me at all! I'm a healthy high-school girl, something like this wouldn't stop me! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Um, yeah…" replied Ichigo slowly in response to Inoue's usual oddball remarks. It did not take long for Ichigo's wound to heal under the Santen Kesshun, and Orihime then walked towards Lucian who appeared to still need mending.

"I will heal you now, Lucian," said Inoue as she raised her hands, but to her surprise Lucian shook his head in the negative.

"I'm all right, Orihime," he said, waving her away with his hands. "Go tend to Declan; I will be fine."

"But you're injured…" countered Inoue.

"I'm a Commodore of Jizengensei; I will be fine." These words came out strongly, strong enough to stop Inoue's argument, and without a word Inoue nodded out of respect and returned to the others, leaving Lucian and Cerillius alone. Several moments later, however, Lucian stood up and called out to Declan, Inoue, Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida.

"We haven't a moment to lose," he said confidently, his voice sounding as though his body wasn't in pain at all. "We must hurry to the peak. Let's go!"

**Next chapter: REVENGE**

**BONUS!** I love Springtime. Don't you? I've got finals coming up, so don't be surprised if the next chapter takes some time. However, next chapter takes us back to Soul Society. Good stuff, intense stuff. I hope you like it. ^_^


	30. Chapter 29:Revenge

**CHAPTER 29: REVENGE**

Captain-Commander Yamamoto looked up from his seat in his large office to see a small, pink-haired Yachiru Kusajishi standing before him.

"Ah, Vice-Captain Yachiru," grunted the elderly Yamamoto. "I would love to play a game with you right now, but my hands are full…" Yamamoto stopped as he noticed Yachiru's eyes were red and swollen with tears of sorrow, and immediately he stood up and walked over and knelt next to the young girl, whereupon she began to weep.

"G-gramps…" stammered Yachiru in her childish voice tinged with despair, and without hesitation she grasped Yamamoto's shoulders and cried into them like a child to a grandparent.

"Yachiru, what's wrong?" asked a somewhat stunned Yamamoto; hardly ever could the Captain-Commander remember a time when this girl had ever squeezed out a single tear since joining the Protection Squads, and to see her in this state was quite perplexing to say the least. Yachiru's wails continued, her tears soaking through Yamamoto's haori.

"H-He's…" she stuttered, the words barely leaving her mouth in a recognizable state. "That…m-man…"

"Come now, Yachiru," said Yamamoto kindly, gently pulling her away from his shoulder and setting her before him where she sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Tell me what's wrong? What happened to you?"

"Not me…" she sniffed. "Ken-chan. Something has happened to Ken-chan!" These words froze Yamamoto's soul, and the old man's eyes opened to the point where his irises could be seen.

"What happened to Captain Zaraki?" asked Yamamoto quietly. "Where is the Captain of Squad Eleven?"

"That man…he killed him!" replied Yachiru, to which her eyes flooded with tears yet again. "He killed him right in front of me! Ken-chan couldn't stop him! That man touched him, and now Ken-chan's dead!" Yachiru looked up at Yamamoto's face expecting to see reassurance, but all she saw was fear – fear that she had never seen nor expected to see in the Captain-Commander's façade.

"Vice-Captain Kusajishi, thank you for your report," said Yamamoto softly, so softly that she could barely hear him. "Please return to your squad and assume command duties, and listen for the announcement I will shortly have given."

"B-but…" started Yachiru, but Yamamoto placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Your squad needs you, and you have done well," continued Yamamoto. "Your grief is shared with me. Do not allow any of your shinigami under your command to leave Sereitei, do you understand?" Yachiru hesitated as she looked into Yamamoto's eyes, but after a short moment she nodded and bowed, after which she departed from the office.

_Two captains…what evil has befallen us?_ thought Yamamoto with a heavy breath, after which he raised his voice and called out to a messenger in the hall outside his office.

"Messenger!" called out Yamamoto, and immediately a young man wearing a peculiar wooden, angled channel hat appeared.

"Yes, Captain-Commander Yamamoto-sama!" replied the young man.

"Send out a message to all Sereitei and all squads," continued Yamamoto. "Captains Kurotsuchi and Zaraki have both been killed in battle, and all shinigami are to report to their battle stations. No shinigami are to leave the walls of Sereitei."

"Z-Zaraki…?" gasped the young man. "But how…when…?"

"Do not bother with details," interrupted Yamamoto sternly. "Go and make the announcement, and also send for Captain Kyouraku of Squad Eight to come to me immediately."

"Y-yes, Captain-Commander Yamamoto-sama!" Without another word the young man vanished,, leaving Yamamoto alone to ponder these unfortunate events.

Inside the Bureau of Technological Development of Sereitei, Rukia Kuchiki grabbed the peculiar-looking Akon, third in command of the Twelfth Squad, and slammed him against the wall of the cluttered laboratory. Around the lab glassware and instruments shook and rattled, and Rukia's normally large and lovely dark eyes were scowled and angered as she harassed the messy-haired, three-tiny-horned shinigami.

"What do you mean you don't know?" shouted Rukia while several huddled lab workers peeked from behind their desks. "Are you telling me that no one here recorded any information about Kisuke's shop?"

"Kuchiki," countered Akon calmly, his eyes maintaining their calm, annoyed look regardless of being pressed against the wall. "You are being unreasonable. I told you that nobody I work with in this lab has these recordings."

"Then who does?" growled Rukia. At once Akon looked past Rukia's ear and pointed.

"Vice-Captain Kurotsuchi, perhaps," said Akon, to which Rukia suddenly gasped.

"Rukia Kuchiki," asked Nemu's emotionless voice from behind. "What are you doing to our third seat?"

"I…" stammered Rukia as she unhanded Akon. "I'm sorry, I acted unseemingly…"

"She's worried about the substitute shinigami," declared Akon as he straightened his uniform. "Apparently Ichigo Kurosaki and his spiritually-active friends have gone missing."

"I may be able to help you with that," said Nemu curtly, to which Rukia's eyes lit up. "Please, come with me."

"Y-yes!" replied Rukia, and immediately she ran off to follow Nemu, leaving Akon and the other scientists alone in the lab.

"What's with her?" asked a young girl with a chain wrapped around her forehead like a bandanna. "She in love with Ichigo or something?"

"Probably," replied Akon boorishly. "Now then, let's get back to work."

Down the hall Nemu led Rukia into a larger, more elaborate laboratory, this belonging to Captain Kurotsuchi himself. Therein she walked across the work floor until she came to a massive computer with a screen the size of a house, and there she sat and began typing with dizzying speed.

"You probably heard that we had detected strong spiritual emittances in the area of Karakura town," started Nemu as she typed. "That is true, but Akon's team didn't catch it in time before it vanished. Captain Kurotsuchi, however, did." Nemu hit a final key to which a tone sounded and the screen lit up with fan overhead view of Karakura town as though from a satellite.

"So did you…" started Rukia, but Nemu's droning voice interrupted her.

"I've looked at the data and analyzed it further, and indeed the epicenter of the spiritual releases is directly in front of the Uruhara Shop." Nemu clicked a few more keys, and the image zoomed in closer and closer until a black-and-white overhead view of the square in front of Kisuke's store appeared.

"I don't see anyone…" observed Rukia slowly, to which Nemu nodded and gave a prolonged blink.

"With the data received, we can only recreate several seconds of movement," continued Nemu. "We can guarantee the presence of Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Uruhara, and as such their reiatsu can be mapped and simulated." On the screen the image zoomed closer upon Yoruichi, lying unconscious on the ground, and Kisuke, apparently in the act of fighting. "We detected many additional spiritual presences, but we could not match names nor exact positions of them. However, we did detect another, much larger presence." Nemu against typed a few figures, and the image moved to show Ichigo Kurosaki, complete in his Bankai form with his horrifying Hollow mask leaping through the air.

"Ichigo…!" gasped Rukia as Nemu began to type further.

"His reiatsu was strong enough for me to recreate his movements for a few seconds," said the Vice-Captain as she typed. "If you would wait just a moment for the computer to finish the calculations…" Rukia watched breathlessly as a status bar on the screen slowly progressed towards completion, and her eyes widened as it finished and began playing. On the screen it showed Ichigo leaping in the air, his sword brandished and bursting with energy – but then suddenly he stopped, after which he became limp and fell to the ground, his image vanishing completely.

"W-what just…" stammered Rukia. "What just happened to Ichigo…?"

"He was killed," stated Nemu coldly. "A further analysis shows that at the point of death he had something removed from his body, though I cannot tell what." The image then changed to show Ichigo's outline as being a radiant trace, and as he became still this trace became perturbed as part of it vanished, the rest of it immediately disappearing thereafter.

"Ichigo was killed…?" stuttered Rukia in disbelief. "But how…how could he be beaten so easily…?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi went out to face the man who did this several hundred miles due west of Sereitei's western gate," said Nemu after a moment. "He too was defeated and killed in much the same manner as Kurosaki. It was over so quickly, though, I wasn't able to analyze the data he sent me in any efficient manner. All I could tell is that he has a peculiar aura of energy around his hand; an emitter of some sort is present there, emitting a wave of spiritual energy that can affect living spirit. By the time I realized what it was, it was too late; the frequency is enough to overwhelm and negate signals from the brain, thus incapacitating a soul. There appears to be another aspect to it, but I haven't…" Nemu stopped speaking as Rukia turned and ran out of the lab at full speed.

Rukia bolted in and out of the winding hallways of the Bureau, many Squad Twelve shinigami having to dodge her path as she ran. Soon she reached the door, and through she leapt on her way to the barracks' gate. Tears streamed down her lovely, young face as she ran, her teeth clenched and her heart broken, the only emotion left being prideful rage, and she burst through the gate – only to collide with a large, violently red-headed shinigami.

"GYAH!" cried out Rukia as she and the shinigami tumbled to a stop, and she immediately got to her feet to scold him. "What's the big idea getting in my way! I'll kill…Renji?" Below her, Renji Abarai, the Vice-Captain of Squad Six rubbed his chest at the area of impact, his face wrenched in pain.

"Rukia, what's the deal?" he said as he winced. "Iba-san told me he saw you running here, so I cam to see what the problem was."

"I…I'm sorry, Renji," apologized Rukia, her voiced now soft and sullen, though her tears will still present. "It's just that…Ichigo…"

"Yeah, I figured," replied Renji softly. "This Viajante got him as well, huh?" Rukia slowly nodded, tears again streaming down her face as she tried not to cry out in sorrow. "We must avenge him, then." Suddenly Rukia stopped crying and looked up at Renji, whose face was now set in a look of sorrow and concern.

"Yeah…" replied Rukia softly. "We'll likely die as well, but…"

"We have to," continued Renji. "I won't be able to face him again unless I try to defeat this evil. I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing that he killed everyone in the real world. Ichigo gave his all, now it's time to give ours. Stand up, Rukia, and let's go. You know where he is?"

"I have an idea," replied Rukia as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Straight out the western gate."

"Good," replied Renji, and the two began to run off away from the barracks. They did not get far, however, before a series of sharp bangs of wood-on-wood* filled the air as a precursor to an emergency announcement.

"All shinigami, captains, vice-captains, officers, and otherwise: Captains Kurotsuchi and Zaraki have both been killed in battle! Report to your stations and prepare for battle within Sereitei!" called out the male announcer. "No shinigami are to leave Sereitei under any purpose! I repeat…" The announcer repeated the message, but already Renji and Rukia were back on their way to the gate, prepared to break the rule and leave the Sereitei.

"Captain Zaraki too?" gasped Renji as the two ran through the now crowded and hectic streets as the shinigami of Soul Society tried to prepare according to the announcement. "What is this Viajante guy?"

"We will surely be killed…" stated Rukia softly, almost dejectedly. "Maybe we should stay if we want to live…"

"Not a chance!" retorted Renji. "If this guy destroyed the real world, then Soul Society is next. If he really killed Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi that easily, then none of us stand a chance, no matter our numbers. If all that is the case, then I want to go out with as much fight as I can!"

"Renji…" said Rukia softly as her lifelong friend restored some of her faith. Renji did not reply, instead keeping his chase through the crowded streets until finally they broke through, the western gate nearing them ahead.

"We'll have to be fast," said Renji with conviction. "I'm sure someone will try and stop us, but…" Renji's words and feet came to a sudden halt, and his eyes widened with shock as two figures stood between them and the gate.

"Oh no…!" gasped Rukia, making the same realization and recognizing the two before them. Rukia likewise skidded to a stop mere meters before the western gate, her lips trembling at the sight.

"Rukia, Renji," declared Captain Byakuya Kuchiki with the handsome and silver-haired Captain Jyuushiro Ukitake beside him. "What do you think you are doing? Did you not hear the announcement from Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"

"Captain…" stammered Renji, trying as much as he could to sound confident in front of his captain. "P-Please, let us pass!"

"I cannot," replied Byakuya, his voice cold as it usually was. "We've lost two captains, and I will not allow us to lose more strength. Please, report back to your barracks, both of you."

"I have to agree with Captain Kuchiki, Rukia-san," seconded Ukitake, focusing his words more upon his own shinigami Rukia. "I don't know why you would so hastily run to your doom, but I would ask you to reconsider."

"Captain…nii-sama…" said Rukia softly, trying not to allow her sorrow to leak out through her voice. "Please…please let me go. This man, this Viajante…he has taken something from me, a source of pride from me…" Ukitake was taken aback by Rukia's words and tone, but Byakuya, her adopted older brother, would not have any of it.

"Rukia, do not dishonor our household," he said sternly. "You and Renji have a passion for disobedience, and while in the past it may have had its merit, even I can see that stepping out of these walls and facing this foe is suicide. Now, get back to your…"

"Let them pass, Byakuya," interrupted Ukitake softly. "Rukia, Renji, please be careful, and survive if you can." Ukitake then pushed open the massive gate, and with a bow Rukia and Renji ran through them, after which Ukitake immediately closed the gate.

"Jyuushiro, what are you thinking?" exclaimed Byakuya, now exuding uncharacteristic signs of distress. "You allowed my sister and vice-captain to…"

"Byakuya, you know my philosophy of battle, do you not?" interrupted Ukitake, to which Byakuya stopped talking and looked away. "Only one thing would push those two to this level: Ichigo Kurosaki, the substitute shinigami, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryuu Ishida have all been killed by the Viajante. Their friends, their pride…they have all been murdered, and this is their attempt to reclaim even a fraction of that pride. Besides, the Viajante has killed our craftiest and physically strongest captains; what good in the end would it be if they remained here? We're all likely to perish by this man's hand, so let them go." Byakuya was silent for several moments before speaking up.

"I didn't want to lose her this way," replied Byakuya after this moment of silence. "After all we've been through, after all the evil I've caused her and all the pain, I wanted to die protecting her life. Now, I've let her run to her death, and there is nothing I can do to protect her now."

"What is more important, a person's life or a person's pride?" asked Ukitake. "If one believes that there is more to existence after death, then I would declare that a person's pride is far more important than a person's life. But more than that, I would say this to you, Byakuya: have faith in your little sister. Fate may have something in store that only Rukia and Renji can accomplish. Now then, I will be off to my squad; I'm sure they're in a panic." Ukitake gave an uncomfortable laugh while scratching the back of his head, and with a turn and a step he vanished into a shunpo, leaving Byakuya alone at the gate. For a moment he stood there silent and still, looking down at the ground, but after this moment he too vanished.

"Master!" cried out the dark-haired and heavily-tattooed Fu in shock and horror as Ryojin Valhalla emerged from the tress and returned from his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki. Ryojin's clothes were torn and heavily stained with blood, and his face and hands were in a similarly terrible shape. Fu immediately ran up to Ryojin and placed her hands upon his wounds, a green glow emanating from them as she began to heal him.

"It is all right, my loyal Fu," said Ryojin softly with a smile, but Fu could not stop her tears from flowing as she looked upon her battered god.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you go alone…" she sniffed as she wept. "I knew that Captain Zaraki would be too dangerous…"

"Fu!" shouted the massive, bald, demonic-looking Toriko as he leapt down from the top of a nearby tree. "You dishonor Master Viajante!"

"Toriko, please," said Ryojin softly, to which Toriko instantly changed façade from anger to fear and fell to one knee with a bowed head.

"P-please forgive me, Master."

"What important is that we are one step closer from our ultimate goal," declared Ryojin. "I have captured the keys from two captains, and only eleven keys remain!" Below, Fu's healing techniques were working almost miraculously on Ryojin's wounds, most of them now completely closed and healed although only being tended to for several seconds.

"The little girl has likely reached Sereitei by now," informed Toriko, still on bended knee. "Hopefully Yamamoto doesn't lock down the city and heeds your request."

"Oh, you and I both know that we will have to storm Sereitei ourselves," said Ryojin. "From what I know of Captain Yamamoto, he is incredibly shrewd and with not make light decisions. Clearly, Captain Kurotsuchi acted on his own accord, but Captain Zaraki was likely send to investigate. I have from time to time watched him as he's grown, and I myself would have sent him out knowing that he would likely vanquish any foe. Now then, we must be off." Fu ceased her healing technique and backed away from Ryojin, making several meek bows as she did so.

"Can we teleport ourselves into the city directly?" asked Toriko.

"Alas, there is a barrier of incredible power surrounding Sereitei," replied Ryojin as he shook his head. "We can use Jigenseisokuka to transport ourselves near the city, but from then we will need to find an alternate method of entrance. Please stand next to me, both of you." Fu and Toriko both walked up to Ryojin and stood at his sides, and with a deep breath Ryojin spoke.

"Deliver us, Jigenseisokuka, to the city known as Rukongai."

West Rukongai was abnormally silent as Rukia and Renji sprinted down its dusty streets. Indeed, not a single soul had been seen since they left Sereitei, highly unusual – especially considering it was noon-day.

"Is the air of Soul Society so stale and dead that it harms weaker souls?" pondered Rukia aloud. "I haven't been outside since the flow of spirit ceased."

"They could have also heard about Kurotsuchi and Zaraki," added Renji. "Either way, it's a bad time to be a spirit."

"Yeah," agreed Rukia. "I can't sense any powerful presence at all; I hope we're going the right way."

"They mentioned something about this guy being able to cloak his presence completely," said Renji. "We really don't know anything else about him."

"Vice-captain Nemu said something about his hand," continued Rukia as the two proceeded further into the city and away from Sereitei. "Apparently he can freeze a body if he touches it, or at least that's what Nemu suspects."

"Freaky…" observed Renji as the two passed a series of alleyways. "I just hope he isn't too hard to figure out when we meet…him…" Renji's words trailed off and he and Rukia both slowed to a stop as a red blur appeared in the air several dozen yards ahead of them.

"What is that…?" asked Rukia, immediately reminded of the Bount sensor Nova's similar-looking technique. "Is that a dimensional portal?" No sooner had her question left her lips than the red blur vanished, leaving in its place three figures: a slender, dark-haired and violet-eyed female shinigami with tattoos covering nearly every exposed area of skin, a massive, black-eyed, bald and demonic-looking male shinigami, and between then a handsome, kind-looking man with long, neatly parted brown hair and clean, short goatee dressed in white-clothes with various stains.

"Is that him?" asked Renji softly to Rukia as his eyes fell upon the man in the middle. "Is that this Viajante? I can't sense any spiritual radiance from him at all…"

"Neither can I," added Rukia. "He really can mask his presence completely…"

"I take it you two are the best that Sereitei has to offer?" called out Ryojin in a disturbingly peaceful and kind voice. "From the looks of it, neither of you are captains; I'm afraid that is most depressing for me."

"You are the Viajante?" asked Renji, subconsciously drawing his sword while he asked.

"Indeed I am," replied Ryojin with a smile. "And you are Renji Abarai, vice-captain of Squad Six under Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's command. Tell me, Renji, why has your captain not come out? Why would he send his underling to a certain death?"

"We snuck out of the city to face you," answered Rukia before Renji could speak, he sword also already drawn. "You killed Ichigo…you killed our friends, and we will defeat you even if it means our lives!" Ryojin's kind face fell to one of a mix of disappointment and sorrow, and he gave a heavy, downtrodden breath.

"I was truly hoping to avoid any unnecessary damages," he said softly. "How unfortunate that Ichigo Kurosaki had to make friends in the afterlife. Fu, Toriko, please defeat them; they should be child's play for you."

"I call the girl," said Fu quickly.

"Fine," replied Toriko. "Just don't get cocky; I sense incredible strength in that girl."

"Why do you think I wanted to fight her?" laughed Fu. "Hey, girl! I hope you're ready!"

"Don't be afraid, no matter what…" whispered Renji to Rukia as Fu taunted her. "They are Shinigami, I'm sure of it – we can defeat them."

"Are you sure of that?" asked a deep, malevolent voice from behind Renji, and he turned to see Toriko's blade slashing at his throat.

**Next chapter: PRIDE**

**BONUS!** Okay, so I just noticed something sucky about fanfiction(dot)net. I don't know when this happened, but apparently my section breaks (--) are no longer showing up. As such, normal, easy to read and follow chapters now make absolutely no sense. I apologize; if you are having trouble with this, please send me a private message and I can direct you to the other website, or I can add you to my email list where you will receive individual chapters in Word format. Again, I apologize for ff's stupidity.


	31. Chapter 30: Pride

**CHAPTER 30: PRIDE**

Kisuke Uruhara came to a complete stop amidst the dense trees of the western forest, his hand raised and his face turned towards the canopy above. Behind, Shakuho Hitokage, Shigeryu (formerly known as Dorei), Yoruichi Shihoin with Alicia Anders upon her shoulders, Tessai and the children Jinta and Ururu likewise came to a stop.

"Kisuke, what's wrong?" asked Yoruichi, lowering her shoulders so Alicia could get down. "If you're just now sensing that Zaraki is dead…"

"Captain Zaraki died some time ago," replied Kisuke, his gaze unwavering towards the canopy. "Our targets have suddenly vanished, however; I was trying to follow one of the shinigami slaves, but they've both gone."

"Fu…Toriko…" muttered the wild-looking Shigeryu under his breath. "There's no way they could have both been killed…"

"What, are they immortal?" asked Kisuke. "That certainly would explain why I had such a difficult time with the big guy…"

"No, not immortal," continued Shigeryu. "But their skill is…well…formidable to say the least. Fu has achieved Bankai, and Toriko has never even been scratched in all the years I've known him."

"I don't think they died," said Kisuke when Shigeryu had finished. "They simply vanished. I can't find out…where…" Suddenly Kisuke's eyes widened beneath his green and white hat.

"Kisuke?" asked Yoruichi softly, but to this Kisuke lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"There is a disturbance in Rukongai," he said stoically. "Several strong reiatsu are colliding there." A moment of silence permeated the group until Yoruichi's face lit up in shock as well.

"Rukia Kuchiki….Renji Abarai!" she exclaimed. "They've engaged the Viajante's slaves! But how…how did they travel so far so quickly?"

"Ryojin Valhalla has a zanpakuto," piped up Shigeryu. "Jigenseisokuka is a dimensional-type being; he didn't use him before because he knew the two captains were pursuing him. With two captains dead, Soul Society is likely on lockdown, so he sped up his travel and used Jigenseisokuka to bridge the distance." A look of despair fell over each member of the team as Shigeryu finished these words.

"We'll never make it in time…" muttered the massive and overly well-built Tessai. "To cross such a distance, even with a full shunpo…"

"I think I can help with that," said the handsome, gray-haired Shakuho cheerily, drawing the attention of each member, particularly Kisuke, whose jaw dropped.

"Wait….you have it finished?" he gasped, to which Shakuho nodded pleasantly.

"How do you think I brought Mark and Alicia to Japan?" he said with a smile. "Don't tell anyone else, though." Shakuho then opened the left side of his overcoat and opened a hidden pocket inside. What looked like an endless, black void filled the interior of the pocket, from which Shakuho drew a vibrant red, sheathed katana with a long, garish, and flamboyant curved, crimson handle.

"How did I not know about this?" continued Kisuke in a flabbergasted state. "To release Bankai in the real world without it being detected…" Shakuho then grasped the handle and stepped his left leg back while drawing a deep breath.

"Bankai," he said proudly. "Datesugata, Kikansha Tamashii!" With a single, solid motion Shakuho drew his zanpakuto and held it straight before his body, where he then gently released the handle. Datesugata hovered as he released it, and after a very brief moment the blade began to glow brighter and brighter.

The bright, glowing blade then instantly seemed to burst – but instead of vanishing, this burst seemed to grow further and further horizontally until the glowing material was many meters in length along the forest floor. After only seconds, however, this glow vanished, leaving in its place a complete and realistic-looking, old-fashioned locomotive and passenger cars – a complete train of the real world.

"HOLY CRAP!" yelled out Kisuke, hopping up and down in excitement as Shakuho's bankai finished its transformation. Behind Shakuho had a look of satisfaction as he folded his arms and closed his eyes proudly.

"It took me years, but I finally learned everything there is to know about the trains of the real world," he said happily. "Of course, this type of train hasn't been used in decades…but the newer ones are so damn complicated…"

"Kikansha…Tamashii…" muttered Alicia to herself. "I don't understand what this means…"

"Soul Train," replied Yoruichi, herself in a shocked state after seeing Shakuho's bankai release. Beside her, Alicia laughed lightly under her breath after hearing the name, but not so much that anyone noticed.

"All right everyone, all aboard!" called out Shakuho, and with a heave he opened up the sliding door to one of the cars. As the group entered inside it was just as before when Alicia had ridden it, and she grasped one of the semi-hidden supports built into the wall. It was as she did this that she made a realization that she had not before – this train was completely constructed with steel, some of it even appearing as wood.

"I get it now…" said Shigeryu as he boarded. "Your zanpakuto can morph into different shapes at your will."

"Correct," said Shakuho. "When you used your Yamainu to attack me from all sides, my Datesugata changed her shape into a shell around me. This is an ability of hers in her Shikai-state; if you recall, I told you that she prefers her released state, so these transformations are extremely fast. Bankai, on the other hand, allows me to make constructions far larger than what the steel is capable of stretching to."

"You use the elements in the ground," posed Yoruichi, after scrutinizing the spiritual quality of the train car, to which Shakuho nodded affirmatively. "A clever man you are; by using the elements of the earth, you can then move about freely, undetected – since you are not pouring out your own reiatsu to mimic the steel."

"Very good, Yoruichi-san," said Shakuho happily. "Of course, Datesugata requires complete mechanical knowledge to make anything really work. Like I said, it took years to learn how locomotives run, and without that knowledge we wouldn't be able to travel. Speaking of, we need to get going. Datesugata! Take us to Rukongai!"

The door to Captain-Commander Yamamoto's door opened once again and the elderly shinigami opened his eyes from meditation. Before him stood a tall, rugged, unshaven shinigami in a large pink coat, behind him a petite, slender and pointed female shinigami clutching a book.

"Shinsui," said Yamamoto gruffly. "I take it you have made progress?" Ahead Captain Kyoraku nodded slowly, a peculiar look of strange, tired contentment on his face like always. Behind the captain, Ise Nanao adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat.

"After analyzing the data given to us by Vice-Captain Nemu Kurotsuchi, we have concluded the Viajante is targeting the captains themselves," declared Nanao in a professional tone.

"Didn't we already know that?" asked Yamamoto. "This man has been requesting that the captains meet him in battle."

"Yes, of course," said Kyoraku. "But now we think we know, at least partly, why."

"The Viajante is using some type of emitter in his hand to immobilize his enemies," continued Nanao. "We reviewed the limited amount of data from the real world just before it was destroyed, and we have reason to believe that the Viajante removed something from Ichigo Kurosaki using this emitter, something that we have no knowledge about."

"Ichigo included, there were thirteen similar cases," added Kyoraku. "It took some time to find it, but in the past several weeks individuals from all around the real world suffered similar fates. They would die, but their spirits would not arrive in Soul Society, nor did they become hollows."

"Then you think he is trying to do the same here?" asked Yamamoto, to which Kyoraku nodded.

"Thirteen victims in the real world, thirteen captains of Sereitei," muttered the captain. "In my opinion, it's exactly the same thing."

"But that's where we diverge," said Nanao. "It doesn't make sense to me; there aren't thirteen active captains, so why would he be targeting them specifically if the number thirteen is important?"

"Vice-Captain," interrupted Yamamoto. "Clearly this Viajante is operating under means we don't understand. What happened in the real world appears to be a type and shadow of what is happening here, and I tend to agree with the captain."

"This leads me to my next theory," continued Kyoraku while placing his hand gently on Nanao's shoulder and smiling reassuringly. "Should this Viajante encounter another captain, I think I know a way to save them – at least from this strange death."

"Oh?" mused Yamamoto, his eyes opening a little wider. "And how is this?"

"If the Viajante is targeting captains, then we simply make sure that anyone he faces _isn't_ a captain," replied Kyoraku. "In fact, we can test it out right now." Nanao once again adjust her glasses while Yamamoto frowned.

"Who has disobeyed their orders?" asked Yamamoto slowly. "Who would be so foolish as to leave Sereitei?"

Renji Abarai disappeared into a burst of dirt and dust flying across the ground for several dozen yards as he blocked the surprise attack of Toriko, the demonic and frightening slave of the Viajante.

"Renji!" cried out Rukia Kuchiki, but she could not speak another word before a shadow enveloped her and her gaze turned skyward, only to see Fu, the heavily-tattooed and fiendish slave, rapidly descending with her blade.

"Too easy!" shouted Fu with glee as she slashed, forcing Rukia to jump and roll on the ground to dodge. "Good reflexes, though. The last woman had promise, but in the end I was let down." Beyond her Rukia stood up, all while Renji and Toriko were already engaged, and Rukia turned her gaze for just a moment to her lifelong friend.

"I'm over here," said Fu annoyedly. "Your boyfriend is as good as dead though."

"Renji will win, and so will I!" shouted Rukia back as she drew her own zanpakuto, Sode-no-Shirayuki.

"Oh?" asked Fu inquisitively. "And what makes you so damn sure?"

"You all…that man…you killed my dear friends!" retorted Rukia. "You took something very important from me, and I must defeat you…for my pride!"

"Tut tut…" scolded Fu playfully. "Pride is a silly thing. It makes us do stupid and foolish things. Why, not forty years ago I was swallowed up in pride of my own…but now, the Viajante has helped me get rid of my pride. I fight for him, by him, and through him. He is my god, my redeemer…my love…" Fu's eyes drifted off to the side as she spoke, her words slowing in almost lustful tone before she stirred herself back – only to notice that Rukia had vanished.

"GYAH!" cried out Rukia from behind Fu, her katana passing cleanly through Fu's neck, after which Fu held completely still, her back still turned from Rukia.

"You are full of openings and weaknesses," scolded Rukia. "For a woman partly responsible for Ichigo's death, I would have expected…" Rukia's words came to a sudden halt and her eyes widened in horror as Fu's head turned one hundred-eighty degrees – as though her spine was completely made of rubber.

"Weakness?" laughed Fu, her face screwed up into a maniacal smile as her body began to fade away. "Sorry, dear girl, but I don't have a weakness! Ha ha ha!"

"What the…" started Rukia, but before she could finish a blade appeared sticking through her chest from behind, just right of her heart. Coughing up blood, Rukia fell forward to her knees, the blade retracting as she fell, and Fu, completely unscathed and untouched, looked down disdainfully upon her suffering prey.

"You'll note that I did not pierce your heart," declared Fu as she gazed upon Rukia's bleeding wound. "The last woman I fought barely made me yawn, and it was most disappointing. Now then, stand up and let me stretch a little; Master Viajante has trained me for intense battle, and I don't want to be let down, not here in Soul Society." Below Rukia coughed again, the pool of blood sinking into the dirt and making it black.

"Y…you…" stammered Rukia as she struggled to stand. "You…will…" Rukia finally got to one knee, but at this point Fu was getting even more annoyed as she bent over to ridicule Rukia further.

"I couldn't have gotten you that badly," she chided to the struggling and suffering Rukia. "Come on, you're embarrassing yourself…" Suddenly Rukia's Sode-no-Shirayuki slashed through the air and Fu's chest, knocking the latter backwards while clutching the wound stretching from between her breasts to her left shoulder.

"You little…!" growled Fu as Rukia now stood – though quite shakily - before her, breathing heavily through the pain.

_My aorta is pierced…_ though Rukia. _I will die in a few minutes like this. Therefore, I have to kill her and the Viajante before then._

"I won't tolerate you humiliating me in front of god!" shouted Fu angrily, and without hesitation she rushed towards Rukia who was, despite her pain, ready. With a deft duck she dodged Fu's slice, and with an upward motion Rukia slashed Fu through her chest – but as before, there was no resistance whatsoever, Fu's body instead disintegrating into the air.

"No…!" cried Rukia, turning to try and stop the sneak attack, but she was not quick enough. Fu's blade struck her from behind, slashing across her back and bouncing off the bones of her spine, sparing her paralysis but delivering unto her an even more intense pain from the torn and severed muscles. In this state Rukia again fell to her knees, the pain so great she though she would go blind, but she did have enough strength to look around her shoulder where Fu, still bleeding from Rukia's attack, stood glaring hatefully upon her.

"I'm sure you understand now," declared Fu remorselessly. "My zanpakuto, Akisunerai, allows me to make an illusionary copy of myself. Indeed, you may remember a similar ability belonging to Captain Aizen Sosuke. But that does not matter, for you have been tricked twice already, and your death is upon you." Below, Rukia's body shook as she stumbled back up to her feet, earning a scowling glare from Fu's tattooed face.

"Y-you think you've b-beaten me already?" stammered Rukia, having to shake her head as he vision became temporarily blurred from the pain. "You really think you could defeat Rukia Kuchiki, friend to Ichigo and Inoue, Chad and Ishida, with such childish and cowardly attacks?" Fu closed her eyes in frustration and drew a deep breath, exhaling loudly and deliberately.

"Master Viajante," called out Fu to Ryojin, who was standing motionless away from them with his eyes closed. "I will kill her now, I promise." Ryojin did not respond; instead his appearance remained unchanged and unphased. It was at this moment, however, that a thought crossed Rukia's mind that she did not expect.

_Why does he looked like that?_ asked Rukia to herself as she looked upon Ryojin's face. Instead of evil or hatred, all she could see in his closed eyes and cheeks was disappointment – even sorrow. _It's like he's trying not to see what's happening, as though he…as though he doesn't want it…_

"Now then, little girl," said Fu, jarring Rukia's attention from Ryojin. Fu then rushed towards Rukia again, and Rukia tightened her grip on Sode-no-Shirayuki – however, this time Rukia noticed something different. _Her chest…it isn't wounded at all now…why would…_ Rukia straightened her stand as Fu approached, and as the slave swung her sword towards Rukia's throat, the shinigami spun around and slashed blindly behind her.

"What…?" cried out the real Fu, startled in her sneak attempt. The false Fu vanished in this moment of disconnect, and Fu, unable to stop her momentum due to the suddenness of Rukia's parry, was at the latter's mercy. Blood sprayed into the air and dripped gently down Sode-no-Shirayuki's blade, and Fu fell to her knees, her chest slashed cleanly from her thigh to her right shoulder.

"Your copies are flawed," declared Rukia, slashing her sword quickly to rid it of blood. "You are injured, but they were not. Consider yourself defeated." Fu's trembling face turned groundward as she bit her lip in anger and frustration.

"Impossible…" she muttered to herself, but by now Rukia had turned to face Ryojin still in the same location and demeanor.

"Now then, I will kill you for what you've done, Viajante!" shouted Rukia, trying her best to ignore the pain now pulsing across her entire body. Rukia waited and prepared for Ryojin's response – however, instead of attacking, he turned around and began walking slowly away, much to Rukia's ire. "Hey! Come back here you…!" Rukia began to run after Ryojin, but she did not get far before a voice from behind caught her attention.

"You…you little wench…" growled Fu, and Rukia turned to see the slave of the Viajante stumbling to her feet, her body hunched over and slowly rising up. "You will not touch a single hair on Master Viajante's head…you won't even get a chance to look at him again! BANKAI!"

Some distance away, Renji was already in his own Bankai form, Hihio Zabimaru, or the Baboon King form, his zanpakuto in the shape of a gigantic bone snake with a vibrant red mane around the skull. His own body, however, was seeing severe distress from his battle thus far with the demonic Toriko, who had yet to release even his Shikai. In a moment of rest between their seeming nonstop clashes, Toriko, himself showing no wear nor even a scratch from the battle, turned around and looked towards Rukia and Fu's location, to which he laughed a little in his deep, malevolent and imposing voice.

"That girl, she's done for," he declared boldly, drawing a growl from Renji.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" shouted Renji in response. "That 'girl' is Rukia Kuchiki, one of the most powerful shinigami of all Soul Society!"

"Pff, I could tell that without her speaking a single word," retorted Toriko, his gaze still turned away from Renji. "But you see, Fu has just released her Bankai. This Rukia does not stand a chance, nor would you, or any of the captains save Yamamoto."

"Rukia will win," declared Renji obstinately, though at this same time the wheels of his mind were turning. _Up until now he has been completely attentive in battle, but with him distracted…_ Quickly, Renji raised Zabimaru up and swung down, hurtling the giant snake directly towards the massive Toriko, the slave's face still turned away. _Got him!_

"How unseemly…" chided Toriko softly, raising his sword and blocking Zabimaru so completely that the snake buckled and fell to the ground with a mighty thud – Toriko not having moved even a millimeter.

"What the…" gasped Renji, aghast at the failure of his attack. "How did you…how could you…" _This is captain-level strength…maybe greater…_

"In my days as a shinigami, we had a code of ethics," started Toriko, now turning back to look upon Renji with his black, horrifying eyes. "This code is shared by my mast, the holy and all-powerful Viajante. A battle is to be one-on-one, and to strike an enemy in the back, even a most reprehensible enemy, is considered shameful. Of course, there were and are many who put their own pride above the pride of the shinigami way, but I myself do not. You trying to strike me while not fully engaged in the battle, even for this brief moment, is to me shameful."

"What gives you any right to say such things?" asked Renji, collecting and returning Zabimaru to an active state around him. "You helped kill billions of people, almost all of who had no idea what was happening to them!"

"I do not yet know all of Master Viajante's methods," replied Toriko. "There are many things about him that do not make any sense to me at all, but I look past them because he will be…rather, he is God. I couldn't possibly understand why he would do the things he does. But this I do know: none is more benevolent, more kind, more caring than he."

"Bullshit!" shouted Renji angrily. "What is this crap you're spewing? This guy is a bloody murderer, and you call him benevolent? What the hell has this maniac brainwashed you with?" Upon hearing these words Toriko's demeanor quickly changed from somewhat apathetic to enraged, and the massive, bald, demonic slave growled as he looked hatefully upon Renji and his zanpakuto.

"You will not speak such blasphemies!" shouted Toriko, his deep voice resonating and shaking Renji's body. "I will kill you for your sins against god! Shimekorosu, Shokushu!" Toriko raised his katana into the air, and at once it began to become loose and wavy like a cooked strand of spaghetti.

"Get ready, Zabimaru…" said Renji to his zanpakuto as Toriko's blade whipped wildly through the air. "Your power will be more than that flimsy blade can handle; after all, he hasn't seen our complete strength yet. Go, Zabimaru!" Once again Zabimaru screeched and flew through the air directly at Toriko, who swung his own zanpakuto towards Renji. However, instead of colliding with Zabimaru, Shokushu wove in and around Zabimaru's spines, and almost as quickly as he had swung it, Toriko had completely wrapped and trapped Zabimaru.

"You're doomed," growled Toriko, his face reddened with anger toward Renji, who struggled to break free from Shokushu's bind.

"Dammit, Zabimaru!" shouted Renji, though try as he may, Zabimaru could not break free; Toriko's shikai had extended and trapped the giant snake skeleton firmly, and as such the zanpakuto could not gain any momentum whatsoever to break the hold.

"Shokushu's bind is nearly impossible to break from struggling," stated Toriko. "No matter how hard you struggle, your Bankai is trapped. However, like any creature that binds its prey, Shokushu has a second movement, one designed to crush and kill! Oshikorosu!"

"No…" gasped Renji as Zabimaru began to rumble and crack under Shokushu's pressure. "Zabimaru, NO!" With a crackling din, Zabimaru shattered all at once under Shokushu's Oshikorosu, fragment of yellow bone scattering all across the dusty field outside of western Rukongai. Renji had no time to mourn, unfortunately, since as soon as his Bankai had shattered he found Toriko standing before him, his own zanpakuto back into its solid, base form. Renji looked up, his face trembling slightly in this split second moment, his eyes meeting Toriko's. The slave's eyes were jet black, no whites to be seen at all, giving the appearance of a demon of hell; indeed, his strength and speed, both were demonic, but now as Renji looked into his foe's eyes a fear overwhelmed him. Ichigo, Ishida, Chad, Inoue…all of them, his friends, were dead because of this man and the Viajante. This demon, this monstrous demon…staring into his eyes was like staring into death itself.

"You are finished, Renji Abarai," declared Toriko coldly, and with a single downward motion he horrifically slashed Renji's left shoulder down to his waist.

**Next chapter: IGNITION**

**BONUS!** So, apparently fanfiction(dot)net is having some big-time issues. Not only are my section breaks not showing up, but now the site shows

me not having any hits at all in over a week. Unfortunately, I've only gotten one comment from a serious follower of the story on ff, so I can't be sure whether or not the stats are truthful. Anyway, the moral of the story here is that KANKO LOVES COMMENTS! Also, if you are interested in joining my email list (story chapters only, BCC and no spam since that stuff sucks and is evil), just shoot me a private message and we can work something out. There are currently only about 6 people on the email list, but it makes sending chapter out easy and efficient, particularly if you like to print stuff out and/or refer the story to other people who are scared of the intarwebz. In addition, each chapter is in nice Word format. I don't know why that would make it better, but I'm sure it does.


	32. Chapter 31: Ignition

**CHAPTER 31: IGNITION**

Fu, the slave of the Viajante, slowly got to her feet above a growing puddle of blood, her eyes bulging with rage and her body trembling with anger towards Rukia, now halted in her pursuit of the departing Ryojin to face the beleaguered slave.

"You …you little wretch…" growled Fu, her voice low and rumbling before she lifted her head and began to shout, crazed hatred belligerently flowing from her dark, violet eyes. "You will not touch a single hair on Master Viajante's head! You won't even get a chance to look at him again!" Fu then raised her zanpakuto Akisunerai and pointed it towards Rukia, and with a smile only the insane would make, she cried out with glee and murderous intent a single word.

"BANKAI!"

Fu's sword began to glow and sparkle as though thousands of tiny bursts of flame covered its surface, and after only a second these bursts intensified into a single, grand explosion of dust and force, pushing Rukia back several feet as she shielded her eyes.

"What terrible pressure…" muttered Rukia to herself as the dust and force waned, but as she looked back up towards Fu she was taken aback. Fu's body was now healed, the wounds wrought by Rukia vanished save for the torn clothing, but aside form that she looked completely the same, as did her zanpakuto.

"You will die, shinigami," declared Fu maliciously, smiling with her words. "Your sins against god are great, so great that death is your only future." Rukia scowled and tightened her grip, waiting for something – anything – to happen; as it was, nothing seemed off, aside from a confusing feeling that she had a hard time deciphering.

_The air feels saturated with reiatsu…_ though Rukia, taking note of this feeling. _Since the flow of spirit stopped I haven't felt such rich and healthy air…but this reiatsu, it feels like hers…_

"You seem to be deep in thought," observed Fu, raising her sword a little in an attempt at intimidation. "You had better stay focused on the fight, though…"

_She's in a defensive stance…_ thought Rukia, her eyes not once leaving Fu. _Is she waiting for me…to…FROM BEHIND!_ Rukia instantly spun around and swung her sword Sode no Shirayuki, just in time to block Fu's slashing blade. A din of steel upon steel shattered across the dusty Rukongai street, sparks flying at the point of impact, and Rukia pushed hard against this second Fu, the first still in her same position.

"An illusion…" muttered Rukia to the first Fu, pushing harder and successfully knocking the second Fu back. "This is what your Bankai is? It's no different than Shi…!" Rukia's heart stopped as she felt a rush of air as the first Fu was already behind her, her zanpakuto ready to cut off Rukia's head.

"Heh…" laughed this copy of Fu. "Too slow."

Blood sprayed throughout the air surrounding Rukia, after which her body became limp and fell, her head rolling off her neck and falling like a rock to the ground. However, to Fu's surprise, Rukia's head never hit the ground; in fact, almost as soon as Rukia had begun to fall, her body vanished, in its place a few shards of black cloth.

"What is this…?" started the first Fu, only then to notice her breath was clouded as it left her mouth. A cold chill began to fill the air, and both copies of Fu looked at each other in confusion until a voice from atop a nearby building caught their attention.

"Utusemi," stated Rukia in a cold, deep tone, her body seemingly unscathed, save for a tear in her kimono at the top of her back, although she was panting heavily. "Molting Cicada." Below, on the street, both copies of Fu gritted their teeth and scowled.

"Utusemi?" growled the first. "That is no meager technique! Few of the captains can even achieve such speed!"

"My brother…" started Rukia, closing her eyes in admiration for a moment. "He insisted I learn it. It requires a huge amount of my power to move so quickly – so much so that I am virtually defenseless for several moments afterward due to fatigue, but in this case it was very much worth it."

"Defenseless?" asked the second Fu. "Then you must also be offense-less as well! Clearly your body is not ready for such forced movement; you attempted a technique of the highest speed, and…" Fu stopped speaking as she finally noticed a change in Rukia's zanpakuto; no longer was it plain and rather boring, now being quite a bit longer and of pure, radiant white steel from hilt to tip, a long, blanched ribbon extending from a ring built in to the end of the handle. Such exquisite beauty resided in this sword, and for a brief moment both copies of Fu were stunned by its grandeur. Rukia, on the other hand, did not hesitate at all to breath in and call out her Shikai's technique, and the two copies of Fu realized only too late that they both stood within the diameter of a glowing white circle of ice upon the ground.

"Some no mai," declared Rukia, slashing her sword horizontally through the air as she spoke. "Tsukishiro!"

Below, both copies of Fu screamed out in rage and shock as they tried to leap out of the circle, but it was too late for them. With an instantaneous flash like lightning, a column of solid ice flashed upwards from the glowing circle, stretching higher and higher skyward until further ascension could not be seen, and with that the two copies of Fu were trapped in the ice, unmoving, frozen solid. After several seconds of silence the column began to crack, and with a shattering din it crumbled and vanished, all remnants of the Fu copies within now gone.

"I did it…" stammered Rukia as the ice column vanished. "I defeated her! Now on to…"

"That was a fairly neat trick," said a woman's voice nonchalantly from behind, and Rukia turned to behold with horror Fu, completely unscathed, leaning against a window on the rooftop.

"Wh…what…?" gasped Rukia, to which Fu interrupted with a hearty laugh.

"You're a Kuchiki, aren't you?" asked Fu, lifting her smiling face and looking towards Rukia. "The Molting Cicada, the haughty speech…you sound just like Byakuya!"

"Nii-sama…?" asked Rukia, taken aback by Fu's knowledge of her brother.

"However, your sword gave it away," continued Fu. "The most beautiful ice-based zanpakuto in all of Soul Society; that would belong to that Kuchiki girl, and you must be her. I was a shinigami as well, you know. In fact, we were once contemporaries, though I was in Squad Eleven before I left with Master Viajante."

"How are you….how did you…?" continued Rukia, seemingly oblivious to Fu's story.

"Don't look so surprised," counseled Fu with a false tone of concern. "You heard me before, didn't you? I released my Bankai; why do you think I would stick with mere illusions with such a release of power? You see, while most forms of Bankai are massive and grandiose, Ryojin-sama counseled me to make mine unique and unexpected. You see, instead of funneling my power into a large, single representation, I channel that power into the illusions made using Akisunerai's ability. In other words, these 'illusions' have weight, and force, and sharpness. They can kill you just as easily as the real me." Rukia's eyes widened at these words, but she quickly gathered her composure and stopped trembling.

"So you carry no greater ability with Bankai?" asked Rukia with a wry smile despite the increasing pain and agony filling her body; she had been gravely injured earlier, and coupled with the use of Molting Cicada, her body felt as though it was near its limit. "Then I have the advantage over…!"

"Careful before you speak pridefully," cautioned Fu, now leaning up from the wall and standing up straight, facing Rukia. "You are not assessing your predicament properly; let me put it in the form of a parable. Can one tarantula destroy a mighty warrior?"

"Wh…what?" asked Rukia, slightly taken aback by Fu's change in tone. "Of course not; the warrior could simply crush the spider with a foot."

"Correct," said Fu. "What about two tarantulas? Same effect, you would argue. But what if…what if there were a thousand tarantulas?" Rukia's heart felt as though it had stopped for a moment as her eyes became aware that surrounding her on all sides, upon the rooftops and streets, in the trees and in the windows – Fu was everywhere. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of copies of the heavily tattooed, lovely yet demonic Fu surrounded her, and in this state Rukia swallowed hard against a developing lump in her throat.

"You know the old adage, Rukia Kuchiki, if I am correct in your name," said the Fu standing in front of Rukia triumphantly. "Strength in numbers; no matter the foe, overwhelming the enemy is a sure way to victory! Now then, en guarde!"

The strikes were not delayed, and the army of Fu launched their attack immediately from all sides. It was all Rukia could do to parry each one, slashing her own Sode no Shirayuki with as much strength as she could to counter the clones; the force delivered by each was that of a normal, real person, and were it not for such a desperate moment, Rukia would have been amazed at the clearly glorious Bankai of Fu. So many copies, each with the strength a shinigami…inside her mind, Rukia knew she was in trouble.

The slashes continued without any let up; from time to time Rukia's blade would connect with one of the Fu clones, the clone then evaporating and disappearing in less than a second, but more often than this her own body was being cut and slashed. Blood covered her kimono and the ground beneath her; due to the constant barrage, Rukia could not move away even an inch until the rooftop collapsed from the collected force

_I have to make an opening to get to the real Fu…_ thought Rukia as she continued her parries to the Fu copies now so numerous they were blocking out the sun from above the rubble. _I have to use Hakuren…but it will be tricky…_ In between parries, Rukia quickly stabbed the ground beneath her once, a spray of ice rising from the fissure, and this was repeated between parries four more times. This act left her open, however, and her body was slashed further.

_My limit is near, this is my last chance…_ thought Rukia, wincing as her cheek was cut along with her shoulder. Rukia then took a deep breath and shouted, thrusting her sword upward into the sky towards the descending Fu copies.

"Tsugi no mai! Hakuren!"

Ice burst from the ground and Rukia leapt back up to the rooftop, away from the massive flow that captured hundreds of the Fu copies and opened a window for Rukia to rush the first Fu who was still standing, laughing upon the rooftop before her. This Fu then saw Rukia, and at once her smile vanished and turned into a look of horror.

"You're mine!" shouted Rukia, and she jumped forward and slashed through Fu's chest – only to have it vanish away like the others. "N…no…" Without a body to impact, Rukia's momentum carried her through the air, over the edge of the roof, and she crashed hard and awkwardly upon the ground below.

_I'm at my limit…_ thought Rukia in a defeated state of mind. _I have failed…it feels like Renji might already be dead…nii-sama was right, I shouldn't have thrown away my life…_ Rukia's thoughts stopped as a shadow overcame her, and she looked up from the ground to see hundreds of Fu copies descending, their swords pointed downward, ready to impale and stab all of Rukia's life away. _It's over…_

"Chire, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

A massive wave of shimmering pink flower petals roared through the air above, blasting away each and every Fu clone, and Rukia's emotional control reached its limit. Tears burst from her eyes, her heart knowing that her brother had come.

"B…Byakuya n…nii-sama," stammered Rukia through her tears, and she turned to look down the dusty Rukongai street to see her brother, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad Six, standing stoically and emotionless. The countless blades of his Bankai release then returned to the empty hilt in his hand, reforming the blade; however, as Rukia expected him to walk towards her, instead Byakuya turned away, leaving Rukia in her defeated state.

"Until you have properly atoned for your rebellion against the honor of Soul Society, I cannot look at you," said Byakuya rather rudely, though even these words calmed Rukia's heart; after all, this meant that her adoptive brother was still the same as he had always been – caring, yet cold. It wasn't the first time he had rescued her, but each time he maintained his cold and stone-like comportment.

"Thank you, nii-sama…" said Rukia, this time her tears overwhelming her sense of speech. Byakuya, on the other hand, gave a caution.

"Rukia, if you can move, get away from here," declared Byakuya. "The man in white is approaching, and you will likely die if you stay."

"Y…yes…" stammered Rukia, and she slowly pulled herself away with her least injured arm.

Once Rukia was away, Byakuya turned back (he had kept an eye on Rukia despite his earlier statement) and looked upon Ryojin Valhalla, the Viajante, now stepping towards him with a grand smile upon his face.

"Captain Byakuya Kuchiki!" exclaimed Ryojin happily, holding his arms out as though beckoning Byakuya to come closer. "I am very glad to see you here!"

"You are this Viajante, I presume?" asked Byakuya, his tone still cold and stoic. "Asking you why you are doing this would be a waste of my time, since you are about to perish."

"Pride goeth before the fall," declared Ryojin, lowering his arms. "You know nothing about me, nor who I am or where I'm from. You speak so surely; do you not have a shred of humility at all?"

"I know enough," countered Byakuya. "I know that you have the ability to completely mask your presence, and I know that you have something in your hand that can force a spirit to stop moving completely." This last statement struck Ryojin, and the smile immediately left his kind face.

"You've learned about _that_, have you?" he asked quietly, expecting no answer. "I should have expected nothing less; after all, it was your greatest scientist, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, that I first encountered. However, it does not matter if you know all of my secrets or not. Your soul is now mine, and I must collect it." Ryojin outstretched his gloved hand towards Byakuya, still some distance away, and Captain Kuchiki's blood began to boil.

"Chire!" shouted the captain, slashing his sword forward and dispersing the innumerable tiny blades of his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. This wave of pink and white blasted the ground and air as it sailed toward Ryojin, who merely stood still, a smile again upon his face.

"Jigenseisokuka," said Ryojin calmly, and the blades of Byakuya's released reached his position. The earth seemed to explode as the blades collided with the ground, but instead of a continued rumbling and expelling of dust and dirt, the blades seemed to diminish.

"What?" gasped Byakuya, his eyes widening uncharacteristically. "I…impossible…" Before him, a large black void littered with crimson shards and a dull, crimson outline appeared through the dispersing debris, and with a sharp, quick squeal it vanished, leaving Ryojin untouched, and all of Byakuya's blades gone.

"I knew your name and position," started Ryojin, Byakuya now slightly trembling from the shock of seeing his Bankai completely vanish. "Did you not think I had done my homework and researched your abilities? You are the most prideful of all the captains; this leads you to take on battles that you have no business involving yourself with. Do not despair, however; as I'm sure you will soon realize, this act is for the good of all life." Byakuya's face suddenly turned white with pain, and his eyes slowly ventured downward to see five copies of Fu, who he thought erroneously he had defeated, standing around him, their five katanas stabbed into his gut from all round and holding him in place.

"And to think I was always so in love with you," smirked one of the Fu's, this standing at Byakuya's two-o'clock position. "Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, so easily defeated…"

"Fu, do not taunt, lest you sin," scolded Ryojin, to which the speaking Fu's face became crimson and her eyes fell to the ground in shame. "Now then, Captain Kuchiki, I will tell you a little of your fate." Beyond the battle, Rukia peeked around the edge of a run-down building, only to gasp and skip a heartbeat.

"Nii-sama…?"

"You are correct in insinuating there is something in my hand," continued Ryojin, stepping closer and closer to Byakuya, struggling to take even a breath with all the blades in his body. "Long ago I learned that all spirits vibrate, just like all matter. However, the spirit matter making up a human vibrates at a very specific frequency, totally unique and far higher than any other spiritual or mortal construct. The value of this frequency was completely unknown to me, but after years of research and experimentation upon my comrades, I was able to create a device that emits a counter-frequency. You see, when two waves collide, depending on their position, these waves can either grow, shrink, or have no effect at all. By tuning the emitter ever so carefully, it can completely counter the vibrations of the spirit, thus rendering the spirit particles motionless, and hereby stunning a spiritual body."

"So brilliant…" observed one of the Fu clones in completely awe. "Master Viajante is god himself…"

"The device has two parts, however," continued Ryojin. "First, it immobilizes the spirit. Second, it creates an electromagnetic field around the heart."

"Y…you plan to pull out m…my heart?" stammered Byakuya through the pain. "You barbaric…son of a…"

"By no means," interrupted Ryojin. "You contain a key, as do all the captains, and this key is necessary to enter the Eternal Realm." Byakuya was silent for a moment, his face fallen and his eyes closed. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he drew a breath a spoke, his mouth set into a slight smile.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," countered Ryojin. "You have completely forgotten the true nature of existence, but you will soon remember, I assure you." Ryojin then thrust his hand against Byakuya's chest, and Rukia, still peeking around her vantage point in her disheveled and defeated state, screamed out in terror.

"NOOOOOOOOO…!" she screamed, but her agony-laden cry was cut short as she noticed a change in Ryojin's face. Whereas before it was proud and content, now it seemed confused, even upset. Beyond, Ryojin removed his hand from the still-breathing Byakuya, and looked down in disapproval upon the defeated captain.

"You do not possess a key…" muttered Ryojin under his breath. "Therefore you are not currently a captain. Could they have learned…no, impossible…"

"Wh…why am I still alive?" asked Byakuya to himself, unsure at what was happening.

"This is most frustrating," declared Ryojin. "Fu, leave him here; do not deliver the final blow, and call for Toriko. We're going to Sereitei; no matter how many captains they discharge, their attempts at protecting the keys will fail." Without another word Ryojin turned and walked away towards the distant city of Sereitei, and as he did so the Fu clones vanished, allowing Byakuya to fall limply to the ground. With no enemy in sight, Rukia did all she could to run to her brother, though several meters before she got to him her legs gave out and she tumbled to the ground, again pulling herself against her tears and pain to Byakuya's side.

"N...nii-sama…" wailed Rukia through her tears as she placed her head on his chest, his torso covered in blood from Fu's devastating attack. "Don't die! Please don't die!

"R…Rukia…" stammered Byakuya his voice weak and fading, and he slowly raised his hand to her temple. Before any words could be further exchanged, however, several rushes of wind overcame the brother and sister.

"What…the…" stammered Rukia, seeing only shadows race past her.

Toriko stood calmly, looking off in the distance towards Fu and Rukia's battle, standing surrounded by piles of rubble from his own fight with Renji, his long white cloak marked with the kanji for "slave" embroidered into the back. Renji, on the other hand, lay face-down in a pool of his own blood, the scattered, shattered shards of Hihio Zabimaru now reverted to their based form, and as such small pieces of folded steel littered the scene. Their battle had ended rather untimely and quickly, even for a battle between shinigami, as Toriko's crushing power through his own zanpakuto, Shokushu, had proven too much for Hihio Zabimaru. With his zanpakuto thus destroyed, Renji could not defended Toriko's final cut, the same that left him in the state he was currently in.

"Are you still alive?" asked Toriko, detecting slight fluctuations of spiritual energy from Renji's defeated body. "That blow would have killed most captains, yet you, a vice-captain, survived it? I must say I am impressed."

"I…I'll never g…give up…" stammered Renji in a whispered tone, as such was all he could muster. "We will s…stop you…" With these words Toriko turned away from the other battle and looked down upon Renji with his jet black eyes and demonic demeanor.

"You are a foolish one," declared Toriko in his deep, bass voice. "You cannot see the forest for the trees; you see me, standing before you, and consider me your only enemy. What would you say if I told you that among the three of us, namely Fu, myself, and Master Viajante, I am by far and away the weakest?"

"W…what?" gasped Renji, aghast and ashamed at his own weakness upon hearing these words.

"Yes," replied Toriko. "Now it seems the truth is infiltrating your mind. Adding upon that truth, I have at times overheard Master Viajante speaking with his zanpakuto about the 'nine', and I have, over the years, pieced together that in addition to ourselves, Master Viajante has an addition nine followers, all of whom possess power greater than your wildest imagination. Face reality, Renji Abarai – you are defeated, and Soul Society will fall to Master Viajante's power. It will likely be over before sundown, and there is nothing that you, nor any other shinigami, can do to stop fate."

"You're wrong…" said Renji and proudly as he could in his broken, whispered voice. "It is you who is underestimating the strength of Soul Society – not just the shinigami, but our allies as well."

"You refer to the individuals killed back in the Mortal World, correct?" asked Toriko. "Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, Uryuu Ishida, Orihime Inoue…your 'allies' I presume? They were all dead within half a second of coming into contact with Master Viajante."

"No…" continued Renji, wrenching in his heart the awful feelings brought upon by imagining the deaths of his friends. "You can't defeat our will to live and protect. No matter how many of us fall, we will find a way to persevere and survive. You will never defeat us!"

"Strong words…" growled Toriko, now drawing his sheathed sword and stepping towards Renji's embattled body. "I find it odd that Master Viajante has always forbidden us to kill our enemies; however, with him not paying attention to me, I feel I can end your life without repercussion. Good-bye, Renji Abarai." Toriko, now directly above Renji, stabbed downward with his sword pointed at Renji's head, and Renji closed his eyes in anticipation of death – however, instead of a piercing pain followed by silence, a piercing din of steel-on-steel erupted above him, shaking his resolve and forcing his eyes to open. There above him, Toriko's blade had been blocked by another sword, and Toriko's face was set in a state of complete rage. Renji's eyes then ventured to the side where he saw the other swordsman, a wild and dark shinigami, almost wolf-like in appearance.

"Dorei…" growled Toriko. "You traitorous scum!"

"My name is Shigeryu, if you can remember," replied Shigeryu, the former comrade to Toriko. "And I am your enemy now."

Back at the site of Rukia's battle, the shadows flashing past Rukia took on shape and recognition, and Rukia's heart leaped in excitement to see her friends alive.

"Tessai-san, Ururu, Jinta," commanded Kisuke Uruhara beneath his green-and-white hat, standing majestically between Rukia and the still-departing Viajante, some distance away. "Gather up Rukia-san and Captain Kuchiki and take them away for healing. We will stop him!" Beside Kisuke appeared Yoruichi Shihoin and another man that Rukia did not recognize, though he was handsome and tall, dressed similarly to Kisuke, though with long, regal grey hair and long katana with a vibrantly red handle.

"Kisuke…" gasped Rukia, her tears now drying up. "You're alive!"

"Yes, Rukia-san" replied Kisuke, turning back and smiling at the young shinigami. "And it looks like we made it just in time, right Captain Anders?" Rukia suddenly became confused at Kisuke's words.

"Captain Anders…?" she asked broadly. "Who is Captain And…"

"I am," replied a young woman's voice from behind, and Rukia turned to see an unbelievably beautiful, long-haired brunette standing proudly in a fine captain's haori. This woman then raised her voice loud enough for Ryojin, his back still turned to the new arrivals, to hear.

"I am Alicia Anders, Captain of Squad Five of the Thirteen Protection Squads!"

**Next chapter: TRUTH**

**BONUS!** I'll be in Houston in about two weeks, so I'll either have something out before the 22nd or after the 22nd. However, I would put the next chapter release date to be after the 22nd since my trip to Houston is to do a gigantic, super-scary presentation to a huge group of chemical engineers in the deep sea pipeline field and it is requiring a lot of preparation. So, in the time between now and then, leave comments. Please.


	33. Chapter 32: Truth

**CHAPTER 32: TRUTH**

"Dorei…" growled the demon-like Toriko as Shigeryu, his former comrade under Ryojin Valhalla, stood with his sword successfully deflecting Toriko's fatal blow to Renji. "You traitorous scum!" Below Renji's breath finally returned as he gathered his wits enough to look upon the newcomer referred to as 'Dorei' – handsome, dark, wolf-like in his hair and general facial appearance, with tattered, torn clothes and deep, intense eyes that stared unflinching and unafraid into his demonic foe.

"My name is Shigeryu, if you can remember," replied Shigeryu confidently. "And I am your enemy now."

"So you betrayed your master and your friends?" asked Toriko, after which he pushed against Shigeryu's blocking blade and leapt backwards several yards into a defensive stance. "You failed in one battle, then joined with them?"

"Ryojin left me to die," countered Shigeryu, likewise raising his sword in preparation for battle. "He betrayed his first promise to us, that he would never let us down. I gave my all to him, and he threw me aside like a dirty rag!"

"Because that is all you are, Dorei," said Toriko condescendingly. "You always were the weakest of the slaves, always the immature one who would nearly get caught in all our missions. You were the one chased off from your last target in the real world, and the reason we had to go to such lengths to capture Mark Anders."

"The weakest? Yes, very much so," agreed Shigeryu. "There is no doubt in my mind that in skill, strength, agility, and any other measurement that you and Fu could wipe me out with little more than a breath."

"Then why not kill yourself and be done?" asked Toriko. "Why join the enemy and betray Master Viajante further? Have you no respect for God?"

"Ryojin is a false god," declared Shigeryu resolutely, drawing a horrible look of hatred from Toriko. "That is what Shakuho told me, and when Ryojin left me to die, I saw that it was true. However, I will not stand by while he destroys yet another world!" With these words Shigeryu rushed at Toriko with his zanpakuto, slicing and slashing, though having no contact at all – not even with Toriko's blade.

_Toriko is so fast!_ thought Renji as he lay wounded upon the ground, though lucid enough to register the incredible speed of the two warriors. _That Shigeryu guy…he's as fast as Captain Kuchiki, but I didn't realize how powerful and fast that Toriko guy was. I'm sure not even Ichigo with his Bankai could catch up with him!_

"You won't be able to touch me, Dorei," counseled Toriko as he dodged three straight slashes with a single step. "You never have been able to, and today will make no difference."

"Always so stuck up!" growled Shigeryu, unrelenting in his attacks despite Toriko's words. "Hey! Shinigami! Did this meathead give his little lecture about 'fighting with honor' to you? Yeah, he's totally full of it!"

"Dorei, shut up!" shouted the now-enraged Toriko, taking a window of opportunity in between attacks to level his fist against Dorei's face, the latter hurtled ten yards before crashing hard upon the ground and rolling to a stop, where he quickly got back to his feet, ignoring the streams of blood coursing down his face – only to realize that his zanpakuto had been knocked away, this lying on the ground beside Toriko. Noticing this and his terrible predicament, Shigeryu wiped the blood from his cheek and smiled.

"He always says that to put himself on a pedestal above others," he said somewhat mockingly. "Truth is Toriko has an ego problem…GAH!" Suddenly a whip-like sound cracked across the rubble and Shigeryu found himself entangled by what looked like a thick, tight vine wrapping around his torso several dozen times and emanating from Toriko's hand.

"You are a traitor, and now you have evicted yourself of all honor!" shouted Toriko, his menacing black eyes glaring as he spoke.

"You see, shinigami," continued Shigeryu somewhat breathlessly due to constriction, seemingly ignoring Toriko's words and devoting his attention to Renji, who looked horrified as he expected the very worst to happen. "I was once a comrade to this guy. Master Viajante gave us all very specific training to improve upon our natural abilities; I guess it was quite benevolent of him, and I do not begrudge him at all for it. To Fu, our lady companion, he helped her maximize spiritual control, allowing her to maintain thousands of clones as though they were individuals."

"Quiet you…" growled Toriko, his voice now lower and foreboding – though again Shigeryu continued to ignore him. The tightness of Shokusho's grip tightened, and Shigeryu's voice became weaker as he continued to speak.

"Toriko, on the other hand, cannot multitask," continued Shigeryu. "Master Viajante helped Toriko then maximize his senses for one-on-one battle. See his eyes, how they are all black? Those are actually his pupils, maximally dilated. Against a single foe he is practically unbeatable." Shigeryu cried out silently after these words as the constriction grew tighter, several of his ribs cracking under the tremendous pressure – though still keeping an eye on his fallen sword.

"Yet you still thought you could win?" asked Toriko cruelly – not noticing that several vapor streams were emanating from Shigeryu's zanpakuto, Yamainu, lying on the ground beside him. "You know me so well; indeed, everything you've spoken is truth, but now it doesn't matter now. You are caught in Shokushu's damning grasp, and your end is at hand."

"Y-you're w-wrong…" stammered Shigeryu with every ounce of breath he could muster. "I will defeat y-you…"

"And how is that?" asked Toriko with a cruel laugh. "You don't even have your sword!"

"B-because…" replied Shigeryu, another trickle of blood now leaking from a forced smile. "Ryojin trained me as well. You see…he helped me with my relationship with Yamainu; no longer do I need to release Shikai to cast the three movements…"

"What?" gasped Toriko, his black eyes opening so widely that whites could actually be seen. Unbeknownst to him, Yamainu had split into several identical katanas, each floating in the air behind Toriko in a semicircular position.

"Third M-Movement…" whispered Shigeryu, his lungs barely able to form the words. "Inunanseihokubatsu, the Pack Attack." With a single movement, the katana replicates sailed silently towards Toriko, who cried out with a loud voice.

"NO!" he screamed, turning and successfully knocking away one of the blades – only one, however. Several sprays of blood filled the air momentarily before falling to the ground, and Toriko's body fell to the ground, impaled with seven katanas. At once Shokushu's grip fell, Shigeryu likewise falling to the ground, his ribs and arms broken from the pressure from Shokushu's last crushing, and all his organs burst.

"Y-you n-never could…" stammered Shigeryu, his energy quickly fading from the pain in his body. "You never could d-deal with multiple t-targets…it's what kept you from b-being a lieutenant…" Across the scene Toriko fell silent, his pupils leaving their dilated state and returning his eyes to normal, and with an eerie simultaneity the two former comrades collapsed unconscious, leaving Renji, thoroughly shocked and confused, all alone.

"Who was that guy…?" stammered the beleaguered shinigami, though a tremendous explosion from the direction of Rukia Kuchiki immediately startled away his attention. "That isn't Rukia…it's Captain Kuchiki! But…his spirit is fading away! What's going on over there?"

(break)

The lovely Alicia Anders stood confidently in her fashioned Captain's haori, Ryojin Valhalla staring in a slightly confused state many yards away from her, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Shakuho. Behind, Tessei and the children had already gathered Byakuya and Rukia and taken them to safety, and Fu was nowhere to be seen.

"Captain?" asked Ryojin with sincere curiosity. "I did not think that Squad Five had a current captain."

"I am a new appointment," replied Alicia coolly. "I've only been a captain for a few days."

"Ah, I see," declared Ryojin, closing his eyes and rubbing his chin, his lackadaisical action taking the four slightly aback. "When I defeated Jizengensei three months ago I lost the ability to research the further realms, and so naturally any new appointments would be unknown to me."

"Jizengensei?" asked Yoruichi, standing in a wide defensive stance. "There is no such place…"

"For your minds, of course not," replied Ryojin, lifting his eyes and smiling kindly, sickeningly. "This is likely the first time you've heard such a word, since I had not divulged this information to my subordinates."

"Wait…" interrupted Kisuke in a low, pensive tone. "Three months…that was when the flow of spirit between Soul Society and the Real world ceased. That is when children stopped being born!"

"That is correct," replied Ryojin, his disgustingly peaceful smile unfading. "Jizengensei is the world before, or the premortal existence, where from all sprits originate. You, me…all of us are from Jizengensei, and now that world is fallen, just as the Mortal, or Real world."

"You murderer…" growled Shakuho in a demonic tone, drawing the eyes of his three comrades. "You murdered them all…you murdered Aiseki!"

"Aiseki?" asked Ryojin. "I would not say I murdered him, but yes, I took his life away." As these words left Ryojin's lips, Shakuho's blade was already inches from slashing through the Viajante's neck, nothing to impede it from slicing away the wretched villain's life. Instead of flesh, however, Shakuho's Datesugata clanged against steel, and with a spray of sparks Fu, hitherto hidden, blocked his blade from her master's neck.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" screamed Shakuho, unfazed by Fu's counter and parry, and with a heave he pushed the smaller woman away in another attempt to kill Ryojin – but this time he sensed yet another blade approaching from behind.

"Careful, shinigami," counseled Ryojin as Shakuho spun to block a second Fu's sword. "Fu is awfully protective of her god."

"Master," declared the first Fu, now standing by Ryojin's side as the second delivered several quick cuts and slashes at Shakuho. "Allow me to destroy them all."

"Of course," agreed Ryojin. "However, please leave this new Captain to me."

"You'll have to go through all of us to get to her!" retorted Yoruichi. "Kisuke, Alicia – flank him from the side…" Yoruichi's words came to a halt as the sound of many footsteps from behind appeared, and the three turned to see dozens of Fu clones charging.

"Looks like you've recovered," declared one of the clones. "I hope you've learned from our last battle; it would be a pity to have it end so quickly again." A flurry of slashes came from the clones, and the battle was begun. Alicia, however, was left alone, and curtly the Fu army drew Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Shakuho – all of whom were now inundated by Fu's Bankai – away from her, leaving her with Ryojin in the dusty streets near the edge of the forest.

"Captain Alicia Anders, was it?" asked Ryojin after a moment, recapturing Alicia's attention. "No relation to Mark Anders, I assume?"

"I do not know him," replied Alicia sharply, drawing her short wakizashi as she spoke, though inside she was already panicking. _It wasn't supposed to be like this…I wasn't supposed to fight him alone!_

"If I'm correct, it isn't often that a person of European birth becomes a captain," continued Ryojin. "In fact, I can't think of any in the last four-hundred years. You must be quite special then."

"I'm not special," replied Alicia, gulping as she spoke and gripping her sword tightly. _I have no other choice – I have to attack him now while he's flat-footed._ Subconsciously Alicia's foot pressed down hard against the ground in preparation to leap – but instead she was startled away from this preparation as Ryojin lowered his shoulders and sat cross-legged upon the ground.

"I feel that I owe you an explanation," declared Ryojin uncharacteristically, beckoning for Alicia to sit down as well, though she refused silently. "You are a new captain, yet your world is about to fall apart. It would be cruel of me not to indulge you with a bit of knowledge."

"What are you talking about?" shouted Alicia, unconvinced from Ryojin's odd behavior. "You destroyed the Real world, you stopped children from being born, and you want to sit and chat?" Ryojin's face fell and he lowered his eyes to ground for a moment before speaking.

"Jigenseisokuka, take us to a quiet place," said Ryojin softly. Suddenly the surroundings darkened and became black, and after a moment all became silent and still, Ryojin and Alicia's bodies lightened by some unknown light source in the black void surrounding them.

"What is this?" gasped Alicia, fearful at this strange experience.

"Calm down," replied Ryojin softly. "It's been a long few days for me, and I have things I want to get off my chest. Besides, perhaps this way I can find a smoother pathway to my goal."

"Goal?" said Alicia, doing everything she could to gather her composure together. "What is going on? Why are you doing this?" It was at this point that Alicia realized that she could not move – but, it seemed, neither could Ryojin.

"That's right," said Ryojin insightfully. "In this quiet place of my zanpakuto Jigenseisokuka's creation, we can relax and be still, thereby making an ideal situation for two people to understand one another. I do not delight in bloodshed…"

"There's nothing to understand," countered Alicia angrily. "You've murdered billions, and everything is coming to an end because of you! What is there to understand about cold-blooded murder?" Ryojin took a deep breath and wait several moments before speaking, and when he did so his voice was frail, soft, almost sorrowful.

"Perhaps if you know a little about me, your opinion will change," started Ryojin, his eyes closed as he spoke. "Everything I am about to tell you is the utter, complete truth; I pledge to you on my life that I speak no lie, even as young Lucian the Honest…"

(break)

_"Daddy!" cried out a young little boy with glee, dressed in a grass-stained white tunic as he ran across a lovely, incredibly-designed and beautiful garden towards a young man with a handsome face and fine, light clothing, though not the garb of Holies. Above the sun over Jizengensei shone radiantly and happily, breathing warmth and joy upon all who felt it, including this young father and his child, and in this joy the young boy leapt into his father's waiting arms._

_"Mark my boy!" exclaimed the father happily as he embraced his son, though quickly changing his tone as he noticed the stains on the boys clothes. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"_

_"Awaregeken and I were just playing at the park…" replied little Mark. "Awa plays too rough sometimes though, and…"_

_"Mark, you shouldn't force your zanpakuto out of your body so much," cautioned Mark's father in a fatherly tone, though despite his efforts Mark's face fell. "You are only six years old, yet you already have a fully-formed zanpakuto. This is incredibly rare, and means you are a special little boy, but while he may be your best friend, he is still an infant and needs to be kept inside of you until he gets stronger."_

_"Just like how I was inside mommy until I was strong?" asked Mark with a delightful smile, to which his father nodded._

_"Exactly," he answered kindly, but before any other words could be exchanged between them a woman's voice intervened from behind them in the small, marble-stone house._

_"Jonah, Mark!" called out the young mother standing at the doorway. "It's time for supper!"_

_"Yes, Ashley!" replied Jonah Valhalla to his wife, and with a thrust he pulled little Mark into the air, set him on his shoulders and ran in circles towards the door, little Mark laughing the entire way until they were inside._

_"Commodore Chen sent for you just a moment ago," said Ashley Valhalla, a lovely blonde-haired woman with a modest, slender, yet astonishingly comforting and beautiful body, dressed in a fine, sparkling white gown. Together the three sat down at their small wooden table and began to pass around a basket of bread and some freshly cooked white meat._

_"Why didn't you call for me then?" asked Jonah, grabbing a particularly large piece of bread and taking a bite. "He's mah bosh – wut if it wash impor'ant?"_

_"He didn't seem too intent on disturbing you," replied Ashley, all while Mark was playing with his food in some inexplicable manner. "By the way, Mark, I overheard you let Awaregeken out again."_

_"But he said he was bored!" replied Mark desperately. "I hate it when he cries inside…so I let him out."_

_"Do you know why you shouldn't do that?" asked Ashley, to which Mark nodded in a downtrodden fashion._

_"Because he might get lost," answered Mark dejectedly. "And then he might make messes."_

_"Ashley, dear, I've already counseled him," interrupted Jonah after swallowing a large bite of meat. "I guess I should probably head to Communion One – I'll finish dinner later."_

_"All right," said Ashley with a loving smile. "Have fun at work, Officer Valhalla."_

_"I will," replied Jonah, after which he kissed his wife and son, and traversed the little home and exited to the cobbled streets outside. Communion One was not far from his home, and the trek was quick and enjoyable, every step seemingly full of happiness on such a beautiful day. Life was good for Jonah Valhalla; he had a wonderful family, a modest new home, a new position as Officer in the Tenth Holy Commission, and beyond that he was the son of the legendary Head Commodore Lars Valhalla. In this wise he entered the towering halls of Communion One, and within minutes he entered in the Chamber of Communion with a smile upon his face and a song in his heart._

_"Commodore Chen! Sorry I'm not in uniform, I just came from dinner," called out Jonah as he saw his superior, Liyong Chen, standing before the new Head Commodore Guillermo Vinchy. To Jonah's surprise, however, neither commodore greeted him with a smile, instead their looks being those of terrible grief. "Gentlemen…what's wrong?"_

_"Do you not know?" asked Commodore Chen, his voice riddled with sorrow, and as Jonah approached he saw they were both in tears. Something bad had happened…something terrible._

_"What happened?" gasped Jonah, expecting to hear of yet another soul tossing themselves into the desolate Wasteland, but what was answered froze his soul, so sudden and sharp that he felt his heart would stop._

_"Lars…" replied Head Commodore Vinchy. "He has fallen…" Jonah's face grew pale and his lips began to tremble._

_"We were checking his progress," said Chen somberly. "He has only been in the Mortal Realm for fifteen years, but…"_

_"S-show me…" stammered Jonah, his words with hardly any breath behind them. Chen stepped aside and revealed a silver saucer upon a small marble pedestal set before Vinchy's throne. The Seeing Water was already inside, and surely as Jonah lived the image presented was one of horror – a peasant woman in seventeenth-century England, her clothing torn and bloodied, her body having been violated and ravaged, and Lars Valhalla, so young in his Mortal existence, yet now dead, his throat slashed by his own hand. Off in a corner his spirit huddled in panic._

_**I raped her…**__ muttered Lars in this terrible state. __**I raped and murdered her, just like all the other women…**_

_"We hadn't checked on him in a while…" declared Vinchy sorrowfully. "There were apparently ten other victims, but this time he committed suicide. Such an awful crime…it's only a matter of time until Hell beckons for him."_

_"Normally he would become a hollow, but his will to live appears to be dashed," added Chen. "We unfortunately see this sort of thing frequently; the gates of Hell will appear shortly."_

_"No!" cried out Jonah, his eyes brimmed with tears now coursing down his face, his voice crackling with horrific sadness. "Father…FATHER WHY?" From within the Seeing Water a red glow and a deathly scream erupted, and after only a few seconds Lars was gone, his soul pulled away into Hell with the rest of the vile sinners._

_"Jonah…I'm sorry…" started Head Commodore Vinchy, but Jonah was already running away. Further and further Jonah ran, faster and faster, bolting out the massive doorway to Communion One and flying further beyond, each step becoming a yard, then two, then ten. Soon he was in full relampago, the miles burning past him with fury, his tears finding no relief._

_**It's over…**__ thought Jonah as he fled, his emotions taking over and throwing him into full emotional despair. Wails of sorrow could be heard on the streets of Jizengensei as he fled at this tremendous speed, his destination the same that so many other disparate and dejected souls had sought before him._

_The outer walls of the massive city neared, and Jonah prepared to leap at full speed off from them into the desolate Wasteland. There in the spirit-sucking and devouring stone he would diminish and evaporate over millennia, his spirit particles hopefully being used later in some more successful individual. __**It's all over now…I'm so sorry Ashley…Mark…**_

_"Jonah, please…" From behind a hand grasped Jonah's shoulder tightly, bringing him to a sudden halt just as his feet were about to leap off to his doom. Below the clouds and emptiness swirled above the dead ground of the wasteland, almost beckoning Jonah to break free and leap to his doom._

_"Let me die, Liyong," pleaded Jonah, his voice full of tryst and despair. "First my brother…now my father…PLEASE LET ME DIE!"_

_"This isn't what God wants," said Commodore Chen, pulling Jonah forcefully down from the wall and embracing him tightly, to which Jonah's despair peaked and he began to weep bitterly into Chen's shoulder. "Think about your family...you don't want to betray them the same way, do you?"_

_"But…I d-don't know what to do…" wailed Jonah, his cries attracting the looks from some passersby walking near the wall._

_"To each of us is given agency," said Chen in as comforting a tone as he could. "It is said that our agency, our ability to choose our own path, is the greatest of all the gifts God bestows upon us. However, no one, not even God himself, can supersede a person's will; their choices belong to them, and every man is responsible for his own actions."_

_"But…they're sent to Hell…" sniffed Jonah. "They're sent to Hell eternally to suffer! What is the point of existing if it's so easy to fall into destruction? What's the God damn point of any of this?"_

_"There are things that God keeps hidden from us," replied Chen calmly. "It isn't given to us to know all things." Jonah's emotions suddenly began to wane as he heard these words, and soon his weeping was stopped._

_"It isn't…it isn't given to us to know all things…" repeated Jonah, these words seemingly driving away his despair._

_"Yes, Jonah, that's right," replied Chen. "I've seen many friends make bad decisions; I've seen some become Hollows, and even some sent to Hell. But as long as I remember that there is more to existence than we are aware, it helps me get through the sadness."_

_"I think…I think I understand…" said Jonah after a moment, wiping his tears away with his arm. "I'm going home now; thank you, Commodore Chen. I think I know what to do now."_

_"Good," said Chen with as much a smile as he could muster. "If you need to talk, don't hesitate to come to my home. Lin can prepare something good for you to eat; I know how food calms you down."_

_"I'll keep that in mind," replied Jonah. "Thanks Chen, I'll see you around." With that Jonah turned and vanished again into relampago, and within moments he was back at his home in the capital._

_"Jonah?" asked Ashley as he stepped into the door, his wife standing up from her chair as she noticed his puffy eyes. "Jonah what's the matter?"_

_"Nothing," lied Jonah to his wife, though his attempt failed as she persisted._

_"You've been crying!" she exclaimed. "How could everything be all right?"_

_"I…I don't want to talk about it right now," said Jonah, turning immediately and heading towards their bedroom. "I need some time to cool off and think."_

_"O…Okay," agreed Ashley hesitantly, and with that Jonah entered his room and closed the white, wooden door behind him. As he sat upon his feather bed with his head in his hands, a flurry of emotion and thought came upon him._

_**So much left unknown…if they knew, if only they knew…if only they could remember even a shred of their lives in Jizengensei, so many could be saved from Hell. If dad had known, he wouldn't be suffering for eternity. It's so unfair…how could God set it up this way? How could he let so many of us wither away? Doesn't he love us? Doesn't he care for each of us like we are told? What the hell is life all about?**_

_Suddenly a knock came to the door, jarring Jonah's thoughts, and the door opened slightly as little Mark came in looking for his father._

_"Daddy, what's wrong?" asked Mark, sensing the sorrowful reiatsu from his father._

_"Oh Markie…" said Jonah, patting on the bed beside him, and Mark climbed up and sat next to him. "Daddy's just thinking, that's all."_

_"Are you thinking about grandpa?" asked Mark. "I miss him too; he was always so funny, and he knew lots of neat priesthood tricks." Jonah's eyes welled up in tears as he listened to his son's words, but he quickly swallowed his pride and wiped them away._

_"Yeah, I've been think about grandpa," replied Jonah. "Daddy needs a little bit of time alone though; why don't you go out and help your mother clean up supper?"_

_"Okay daddy," agreed Mark after a moment, after which he hopped down and left the room, but not long before poking his head back in. "Don't be sad, daddy. Awaregeken says you should chase the sads away with happys!"_

_"That's my boy," said Jonah with a fake smile, and with that Mark closed the door again leaving Jonah alone – but only for a moment._

_"When you get like this, my world suffers terrible storms," declared a low, soft, raspy voice emanating from a figure suddenly appearing next to Jonah. Jonah, unabashed and not startled in the slightest from this appearance raised his hand and placed it on the newcomer's cloaked shoulder. This person was draped from head to foot in a long, loose cloak, the face completely hidden in black shadows except for two glowing, red eyes._

_"I'm sorry, Jigenseisokuka," apologized Jonah to his materialized zanpakuto. "I hate to cause you any trouble; I know how much you dislike coming outside."_

_"I don't like being seen by others," continued Jigenseisokuka. "I'm a scary-looking person; I happen to know Ashley is very frightened of me. But that aside, you seem to taking this especially hard."_

_"Noah, and now Lars…" said Jonah with a heavy sigh. "They both did the same things – rape and murder of peasant girls. What if the same happens to me? I'll be sent to Hell just like them…"_

_"You heard Commodore Chen, didn't you?" retorted Jigenseisokuka. "We don't know all of God's ways…"_

_"What if…" interrupted Jonah softly. "What if God wasn't as perfect and all-knowing as we were led to believe? What if he was doing this the wrong way?"_

_"That is quite the blasphemy," cautioned the zanpakuto. "You had better be careful no one hears this."_

_"I don't care," replied Jonah. "Something doesn't feel right about life. So many are lost to horrible sins, yet…yet it seems like it would be so simple to prevent this loss, this waste of good souls."_

_"What are you insinuating?" asked Jigenseisokuka, now standing up and stepping directly in front of his master._

_"If only spirits crossing the boundary between Jizengensei and the Mortal world remembered something from before, many could be saved," said Jonah slowly. "If the purpose of existence is to make it to the Eternal Realm without falling into terrible perdition, then wouldn't having at least a slight amount of knowledge be infinitely beneficial? If one knew of the dangers of sin, then they would avoid it at all cost!"_

_"But it is the nature of existence to pass through the Realms without knowledge of the life in Jizengensei," said the zanpakuto. "It has always been this way; it is simply God's will."_

_"Then I will subvert that will," declared Jonah solemnly, to which his zanpakuto gasped._

_"This is most certainly blasphemy!"_

_"Is it?" asked Jonah defiantly. "Or is it blasphemy to see so many souls sent to eternal damnation? Think about it, Jigenseisokuka; if we plan well, and gather support, I think we can force things to be different. If we just…"_

_"Jonah!" interrupted the zanpakuto. "What are you saying? You want to organize a rebellion?"_

_"If that's what it takes to stop people from being sent to Hell so wastefully," replied Jonah resolutely. "Just think about it, and if you think I'm wrong then you're free to stop me." Jigenseisokuka's red eyes glared down at Jonah sitting upon the bed silently for a moment, after which the zanpakuto faded away leaving Jonah alone to his thoughts._

_"I can save them…" said Jonah to himself, these words bringing a smile to his face. "I can save my brothers and sisters from death…nay, I must save them."_

**Next chapter: REJECTION**

**BONUS!** I actually had to stop myself here because the chapter was getting too long. However, in addition I've gotta take a break and let my brain refresh so I don't screw anything up. For your information, the Houston trip was a success, but it does get frustrating when your steering committee made up of executives for many different petroleum companies can't agree on a SINGLE DAMN POINT!

Next chapter will be awesome, though. I promise.

***Note to fanfiction readers: page breaks aren't working on that site, so they have been replaced with the text (break). Again, if you want chapters personally delivered via email, please pm me and we can work something out. Thank you.


	34. Chapter 33: Rejection

**CHAPTER 33: REJECTION**

_Jonah Valhalla slowly closed the door of his house; the midnight moon and stars cast a pale, ember glow upon the rooftops and marble stonework all around, and Jonah tiptoed away from his home, his __wife__ Ashley and his son Mark asleep inside, unaware of his departure. Dressed in his regal white uniform of the Officer class, complete with cape and stunning shoes, Jonah reached the street, whereupon his flight hastened. His destination was distant; the capitol of Jizengensei lay directly in the center of the colossal city, the outskirts divided into twelve zones or "parishes", each under the jurisdiction of one of the Holy Commissions. As one would expect, his path led him to his own parish to the north, the Tenth parish or La Diesima as it was commonly called._

_Due to it being dark, and the majority of Jizengensei's residents asleep in their peaceful existence, Jonah kept his relampago steps short as to not elicit a thunderous roar form his movement. Because of this, it was nearly dawn by the time he reached the headquarters of La Diesima, the Palacio del Mar, so named for its position on the northern-most sea of Jizengensei, Mar Norteña. This beautiful structure was hewn from the granite native to the north of Jizengensei, exuding a strong, noble air upon all who gazed upon its heights. Nearly a mile in diameter, this circular tabernacle of stone gradually and increasingly rose higher and higher into the air, until at its __pinnacle__ three thousand feet up it reached its apex. Along the lower edge rose up periodic spikes of granite, giving it the unusual appearance of a structure built for war – unusual in that there had not been any disturbances worth noting in Jizengensei for well over three thousand years._

_The sun rose over the grand, distant mountains to the east as Jonah stepped into the grand hallway of the Palacio, far too early for any Holies to be on duty. After all, Jizengensei was peaceful with no living enemies, and as such early exercises were not practiced to the degree they should have been. However, Jonah knew that one person, and one person alone, would in fact be in the Palacio's inner court._

_"Wesley!" called out Jonah amiably to the young man stretching in the center of the grand court, centrally located within the Palacio and surrounded by granite columns rising up several hundred feet – giving a grand resonant effect to every word spoken. Jonah ran further into the court towards the young man Wesley, who now had stopped and was waving back to his __friend__._

_"Officer Valhalla!" replied Wesley, a well-built, handsome brunette man with short hair and a strong, friendly smile and chin beneath two gentle __brown eyes__. "You're here about three hours too early!"_

_"I know, I know," chuckled Jonah, finally reaching and grasping the forearm of Wesley. "I knew you would be here, and I wanted to speak with you alone."_

_"Oh really?" asked Wesley with a mischievous grin. "What is it this time? Ashley is having another spirit child?" Jonah smiled and closed his eyes, waving his hands in the negative._

_"No no, not that," he replied with a gentle smile. "I came to you this morning because…well, because I trust you more than anyone else in Jizengensei."_

_"Oh…" replied Wesley, his smile disappearing at the thought of Jonah __**not**__ having another child. "I suppose you wanted to talk to me about that instead…"_

_"Then you know," declared Jonah softly, his smile fading and his visage turning to one of sadness. "Father Lars fell to the same end as Brother Noah…"_

_"Such is the nature of existence," added Wesley with a sigh, then turning and putting on his shirt and cloak. "I lost a cousin just a few days ago myself to Hell…"_

_"Do you think that is all right?" asked Jonah bluntly, eliciting silence momentarily from Wesley's gaping mouth. "Do you think it is good to see our families disintegrate so easily?"_

_"W-what?" stammered the younger Wesley. "Officer Valhalla, I may be your subordinate, but if I understand your aura correctly, you are heading down a dangerous path!"_

_"And if they aren't sent to Hell, they become monstrous Hollows and Menos in the Afterlife, terrorizing the spirits of good people and pushing themselves further into darkness! Is that all right with you?"_

_"Jonah!" shouted Wesley, his voice echoing loudly within the empty chamber before lowering his voice nearly to a whisper. "Jonah, what is wrong with you? Why are you saying such things? We aren't given to know all the mysteries of existence…you yourself taught me that principle!"_

_"What if I was wrong?" posed Jonah softly, his eyes gazing intently into Wesley's. "What if…what if God isn't what we think he is? What if His plan isn't what it appears to be? What if…there was a better way?"_

_"A better way?" asked Wesley. "What better way could there be? We exist to reach the Eternal Realm and live with God…"_

_"And I'm saying that I think there __**is**__ a better way to reach that realm," interrupted Jonah. "Think about it – if we could retain even one thought, one bit of knowledge from this realm to the next, would we not see a grand reduction in lost souls?"_

_"Well, I suppose…" said Wesley slowly, his eyes drifting off to the side as he spoke. "But that's putting yourself above God…and how would you go about bringing this change anyway? I think you should abandon this line of thinking."_

_"I can see I won't make any more headway here," said Jonah, though not in a defeatist tone. "If you change your mind, come to the Coliseum in the capitol at moonrise. Good luck with the new Saints today." Without another word and with no hesitation, Jonah turned and walked out of the court, leaving Wesley alone._

_**I will not give up…**__ thought Jonah as he left the Palacio del Mar. __**I cannot…the lives of my spirit brothers and sisters depends on it. The life of my wife, and that of my son…I will not allow them to fall!**_

_As the day progressed and as the sun made its way across the pleasant, peaceful sky, Jonah worked his way from parish to parish, meeting with those he thought he could trust, regardless of how they thought or believed. To each he delivered a similar address, but each responded identically to Wesley, and as dusk approached Jonah felt as though he had failed as he sat alone in the floor of the massive Coliseum._

_"What am I doing?" asked Jonah to himself. "Ashley must be suspecting something by now…maybe I should just give up. Maybe I was wrong, and I don't understand…"_

_"Officer Valhalla…" interrupted a voice from behind, and Jonah turned to see Wesley in his full Holy uniform descending the stairs behind._

_"Wesley!" exclaimed Jonah happily, standing up and running over to his friend, embracing him warmly. "I was worried that no one would come…I was about to give up."_

_"You should have," replied Wesley coldly, and Jonah looked up into his eyes, their warmth and kindness now void._

_"What…what are you…?" stammered Jonah, but before he could speak any more Wesley slapped a pair of retaining bracers upon Jonah's wrists, made of a material that prevented Priesthood use._

_"You are under arrest," declared Wesley. "Officer Valhalla, for seeking to cause unrest and uprising against the laws of God and Jizengensei, you will be brought before the Elders for your punishment. I'm…I'm sorry, Jonah." As Wesley spoke a garrison of Holies descended upon the Coliseum, and Jonah knew at that point it was over. The enforcing officers of the Holy Commissions did not delay in binding Jonah further, and within minutes he was already at the highest floor of Communion One._

_"Officer Jonah Valhalla," grumbled a voice from beneath the shadows at the end of the ornate upper chamber, lined with Greek architecture and fine artwork and statues. "You've been brought here for sedition."_

_"I haven't done anything yet!" retorted Jonah for the first time since being apprehended. "Is it a crime to talk to one's friends?"_

_"Your 'friends' are the same that turned you in, Officer Valhalla," replied a second voice, this of a woman from beneath the shadows. "You meant to organize a rebellion, and even in such an early stage, we must destroy any sense of blasphemy."_

_"Blasphemy against God is punishable by extradition," said a third voice, again belonging to a man, deep and robust. "If you are allowed to continue, it could disrupt the natural order given by God for the progression of souls. We do not wish for hundreds of spirits to be prevented from entering life."_

_"And if you continue, they will certainly fall as well," continued the first voice. "This is enough to cause your destruction, Officer Valhalla. Guards! Bring them in!" Behind Jonah the stone doors of the chamber opened, and Jonah turned with horror to see Ashley and Mark, similarly bound, led in to the room with tears in their eyes._

_"A-Ashley…" gasped Jonah. "Mark…"_

_"What is going on Jonah?" sobbed Ashley as the doors again closed. "Why are they doing this?"_

_"I…" started Jonah, his soul beginning to fill with shame for his actions. "I'm so sorry…"_

_"Your __husband__ sought to undermine God himself, Madame Ashley," declared the female Elder beneath the shadows. "He has brought shame upon your family."_

_"Jonah?" asked Ashley through her tears. "What have you done?"_

_"I…" started Jonah, remiss at incriminating himself before his family and the Elders. "I felt such despair when I saw Father Lars consign himself to Hell…I felt like I had to do something…"_

_"And that 'something' was sedition!" cried out the third, deep-voiced Elder. "You wanted to gather power and push against the authority of the Elders!"_

_"No!" blasted out Jonah angrily. "I only wanted to make things different! I wanted souls to keep even a shred of knowledge from this realm to prevent needless loss!"_

_"LIES!" shouted the first Elder. "That is an impossible wish, Valhalla! Your real aim was to take over Jizengensei like an emperor!"_

_"What, to deal out wicked judgments like yourselves?" countered Jonah, his voice and emotions becoming increasingly unhinged. "You're already the emperors of this realm! Are you that afraid of losing your supposed authority? From whence do you claim your authority?"_

_"ENOUGH!" screamed out the female Elder, bringing silence upon the crowded chamber. "Your crimes are unforgivable! Commodore Sanchez, conduct the pasaje upon Madame Ashley and their son!"_

_"What…?" gasped Jonah, turning again to see the young commodore draw the crystal, crimson chained heart from his uniform. "NO! PLEASE!"_

_"Silence!" growled the first Elder. "Commodore Sanchez, you heard your orders!"_

_"Y-Yes, Elder…" stammered the tan, handsome black-haired Commodore, though no joy nor contentment could be found in his entire person. "Please, Ashley, grasp the heart…"_

_"GOD NO!" cried out Jonah, struggling against his retainers but to no effect. Behind, Ashley hesitated, but with the direction of the Elders a guard walked over and forced her hands upon the heart._

_"Jonah!" cried Ashley, but before she could say another word she vanished into a burst of sparkling points light, these points fading over the seconds. Immediately thereafter Mark was forced into pasaje as well, and Jonah broke down._

_"You…you monsters…" growled Jonah beneath his tears, his soul overcome with despair._

_"Officer Valhalla," declared the female Elder. "Normally we would now cast you into the bleak wilderness of Outer Jizengensei. However, your knowledge of Zanpakuto __development__ is too valuable for Jizengensei to lose. As such, your past will be erased and forgotten, and you will be forced to remain indefinitely as a Holy here in Premortal Realm."_

_"W-What?" gasped Jonah, looking up to the elders, his face awash in sorrow and his eyes crimson with tears._

_"You are among the greatest of Holies in power and knowledge," said the third Elder. "To lose you would be to lose thousands of years of growth and improvement. It would be a waste to cast you out."_

_"But at the same time," continued the first Elder. "You are a danger. That is why you will be sealed to this realm, so that you will never be able to threaten God, nor cause any form of trouble in the further existences. You WILL remain here in Jizengensei under a new name, and you WILL remain obedient…or else you will be cast into the wilderness, where your soul will decompose over the millennia. Do we make ourselves clear?"_

_Jonah remained silent for several minutes with exception of sniffing from his tears. Oh how he wished he could run away from everything, travelling further and further to where the Elders could not see. There he would take his own life in the most painful way possible to atone for his sins. To travel…to become a traveler…a ryojin…_

_"What is your answer?" asked the female Elder._

_"I will be called Ryojin Valhalla," replied Jonah softly and slowly. "And I will comply."_

_"Very good," said the third Elder. "We will now place the seal upon your soul – do not resist."_

_"I will not resist," agreed Jonah, now Ryojin. The retaining guards then led Ryojin towards the shadowed Elders, and when he was near unto them they began to cast upon him curious and unintelligible words. Seconds later it was over; Jonah Valhalla and his family were rumored to have undergone an early pasaje, and Ryojin was to be Jonah's twin brother from a distant district, equally strong and wise, and he would thus accept the Officer position from Jonah. Beyond this, sufficient methods were taken to alter the memories of those involved, feeding them with the woven lie of Ryojin Valhalla._

_Within days, all knowledge of Jonah Valhalla, his wife Ashley, and his son Mark, was gone. All that remained now was Ryojin, a mere shell of a man he was once was, wrapped up with sorrow and regret. Four centuries passed in this state, Ryojin seemingly accepting his fate, but as he took upon himself a new student named Lucian, the desires for freedom and the increased salvation of his brethren grew deeper and stronger in his heart, and he knew – the time to revolt was nigh._

(break)

"My second attempt at revolution failed as well," said Ryojin to Alicia Anders, both still trapped with Jigenseisokuka's "quiet place". "But unlike the first, the majority of those I called remained by my side, making the third attempt successful. That is what brought me here today, to Soul Society, my desires to save untold millions of our brothers and sisters from Hell."

"Why are you telling me these things?" asked Alicia, her heart stirring as she listened to Ryojin's tale of woe.

"I thought that maybe we would understand each other," replied Ryojin. "I do not delight in bloodshed, and if I can avoid a battle with you, I would very much like that."

"So what do you want me to do about that?" asked Alicia. Beyond her, Ryojin closed his eyes and smiled, and at once the "quiet place" vanished, leaving them again on the streets of Rukongai, the battle between Fu and the others raging off in the distance.

"I would like you to give yourself willingly," replied Ryojin with a smile. "Do so, an I can guarantee that you will be happy in the end. Do so, and you will be seen as a heroine of untold millions."

Alicia fell silent; Ryojin's tale had in fact struck a chord in her heart. He was correct, after all – should a person have knowledge, they would likely not sin, and with that mindset there would be less pain, less suffering, less darkness in the world.

"So the world isn't destroyed?" asked Alicia softly. Beyond her, Ryojin, still seated upon the ground, shook his head slowly in the negative.

"What good is there in wiping out those I wish to save?" asked Ryojin. "Even your husband can be brought back to you by my power."

"I…I don't know what to do…" said Alicia slowly, tears of confusion beginning to well up her eyes.

"Follow me, Captain Alicia Anders," replied Ryojin in a comforting tone. "As the new God, I can assure you happiness and glory forever. It would be foolish to turn down such an offer." Whether it was his words or his tone, this phrase set off a chain reaction inside Alicia's heart.

"You…" she growled, her brow furrowing as she spoke. "You haven't learned at all from your past. You don't want to save – you want to rule! FLOW FORTH! ELIZABETH!"

Alicia's wakizashi burst with water, the flow so intense that it burrowed a massive trench in the ground, and without any wait Alicia swung her zanpakuto at Ryojin. From the blade coursed a terrifying deluge of high-speed water, blasting the earth as it passed over the ground towards her target at breathtaking speed.

"Truly the Shikai of a captain…" mused Ryojin as the band of destruction approached. "Perhaps this battle will be worth it after all…" With a blur Ryojin vanished, Alicia's attack merely passing by and taking out a building behind.

"What?" gasped Alicia as Ryojin vanished, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him approaching, a beautiful scimitar in his hands. Without a thought she slashed her sword in his direction again, but just as before he vanished again, this time approaching from behind.

"You are not lacking in power!" called out Ryojin as he neared. "That much is sure!" Alicia didn't respond, instead slashing twice and sending two bands of deathly water at Ryojin – though instead of vanished, this time he merely – and surprisingly easily – jumped into the air in his approached, clearing both bands without a scratch. Alicia could not recoup, and instead lifted her wakizashi to block Ryojin's slash. Steel met steel, and sparks flew amid the streaming water from Alicia's blade.

"That wasn't a very Captainly thing to do," scolded Ryojin, his face mere inches from Alicia and her raucous Shikai. "You have good reflexes, though. I will give you that." A thin red blur flashed across Alicia's cheek as he spoke, and a trickle of blood began to course down her face from the three-inch cut.

"Get away from me!" cried Alicia kicking at and pushing Ryojin away while slashing her sword at him, only to again have him vanish.

"Against any other foe, you would have advantage," called out Ryojin from behind, and Alicia turned to see him standing comfortably and calmly several yards away. "You have amazing power at a distance, and your attack is swift and difficult to dodge. Against me, however, your advantage is gone…unless you've got something more."

_He's right,_ said a voice within Alicia's mind, one she immediately recognized as Elizabeth. _He can dodge all of your attacks with his superior speed and that vanishing technique._

"What do I do then?" asked Alicia with the appearance of talking to herself – a fact that caused Ryojin to look upon her with a moment of curiosity.

_Shikai is fast…_ replied Elizabeth. _But not fast enough. We'll need to up our speed if we want to have any chance of victory._

"So…" asked Alicia slowly. "So what do I do?"

_It's risky…very risky…_ said Elizabeth slowly. _But we have no choice. Alicia – do you trust me?_

"I do trust you, Elizabeth," replied Alicia.

_Then repeat after me,_ commanded the zanpakuto.

"What are you doing?" asked Ryojin after this curious conversation between Alicia and herself. "I can't begin to think that what you're doing is…normal…" Ryojin's words slowed as Alicia began a type of chant, her eyes closed and her wakizashi held tightly in her hands, the stream of water now decreasing like a plugged hose.

"Oh moon!" said Alicia, her face screwed up in concentration. "Cast upon me thy glorious light! Pull me hither and thither, like the tides of the grand oceans!"

_She is activating her Bankai…_ said the voice of Ryojin's zanpakuto within his own mind. _This could be troublesome…_

"I figured as much," replied Ryojin while Alicia chanted. "At least it will be interesting to see one for the first time."

"The waves at thy will I request!" continued Alicia her body now beginning to glow with a pale blue aura, almost like a blue flame. "The tempests of thy hand I declare! Give me, oh Lunestial glory, the power of the deep! BANKAI!"

**Next chapter: MONSTER**

**BONUS!** If you want to share this story with anyone at all, please feel free to do so. All I ask is that you relay comments, or better yet, have them comment themselves. As always, if you want to be part of the email list, let me know via pm. Thanks!


	35. Chapter 34: Monster

**CHAPTER 34: MONSTER**

Nanao Ise knelt quietly and motionlessly in her chambers within the Eighth Squad's barracks, the cup of tea on the short table at her knees rapidly cooling with each wisp of steam from its surface. Though she had prepared this tea with the intention of drinking it, for the last several minutes she had sat in this almost-vegetative state; rumors were spreading among the tumult and chaos of the last day that this "Viajante" was already in Rukongai to the west. Even more recently it had begun to spread that Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai had violated orders and left the Sereitei, along with Captain Kuchiki after them. However, try as she might, she could not detect their spiritual presence, whether by death, weakness, or distance.

"Nanao-chan…" said a soft masculine voice from behind, and Vice-Captain Ise turned to see her captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, complete with flamboyant pink coat and straw hat.

"Captain…" replied Nanao with a slight tip of the head. "How did it go?"

"Yama-jii and I removed the title of Captain from Kuchiki," replied Kyoraku somewhat lazily. "And it seems to have worked…barely. He's still alive, though his spirit feels very weak…"

"You can sense him from here?" asked Nanao, a little surprised at the skill of her captain even after all these years under his command.

"Reiatsu like Byakuya's is hard to ignore," said Kyoraku, stepping over and sitting upon the hardwood floor next to Nanao. "He's good at hiding it, but when he wants to let it out, he really lets it out."

"I wish I knew what was going on…" declared Nanao sorrowfully. "If Soul Society is going to be destroyed, I would at least like to know I didn't waste my time in the end."

"I don't think it will end," retorted Kyoraku quickly, his lips rising to a smile. "By the way – a new order is about to be given."

"What?" asked Nanao, looking into Kyoraku's face in an attempt to discern the nature of this new order.

"All captains and vice-captains are going into battle," replied Kyoraku happily. "Seems that something changed Yama-jii's mind."

"What happened to change it?" asked Nanao, now standing up and ready to bolt out the door.

"Well, I'm not supposed to say this until after the order is given, but…" started Kyoraku, lowering his face so that his straw hat covered it.

"But…but what?" pestered Nanao, becoming frustrated with Kyoraku's usual lazy, boorish ways. Below Kyoraku gave a short chuckle and a deep sigh.

"Even I didn't believe it at first…" he said softly. "Seems that Kisuke Uruhara and some others didn't die when the world ended, and they're here in Soul Society, fighting with the Viajante and his minions."

"Uruhara?" asked Nanao, her eyes widening in disbelief at the news. "How did they survive? Who else is with him?"

"To the first question, I don't know," replied Kyoraku, now standing up and tightening the sash supporting his katanas. "To the second, Yoruichi Shihoin, a pair of unknown shinigami…" Kyoraku lifted his face enough to expose his smile and one eye gazing carelessly into Nanao's eyes.

"And Shakuho Hitokage."

"S-Shaku-san?" gasped Nanao, her eyes lighting up with shock and surprise.

(break)

"Kokorowoutsu, Datesugata!"

Shakuho Hitokage stabbed his long, red-handled katana into the ground below him, his gray hair swaying from the speed of his movements. Ahead of him, a garrison of Fu clones charged with their katanas at the ready, but before they could take even two steps more a forest of large, thick steel blades shot up from the ground like blades of grass. At once the clones were vanquished and evaporated, but before Shakuho could smile in his success a clone attacked from behind, forcing him to jump back and pull Datesugata from the ground to deflect the strike.

"That is an impressive Shikai!" commented this clone, slashing several more times before being cut through after a missed parry, this clone too evaporating from Shakuho's sword.

"Dammit, there's no end to them!" cried out Shakuho, only a fraction of a second free from yet another pair of clones closing in. "Kisuke! What's the story?" Beyond several dozen yards, Kisuke Uruhara found himself likewise under attack, the tattooed clones of Fu seemingly everywhere.

"Still working on that!" replied Kisuke as he cut through four clones at once. "Benihime!" Kisuke slashed his cane-sword towards an advancing group of clones, a red blur of cero-like* energy blasting out and burning away the attackers.

"Whatever, just find out how to stop them!" interjected Yoruichi, knocking clone after clone away with her fists and legs, she not apt to fighting with a zanpakuto. "They seem to be increasing in numbers!"

"Oh, foolish warriors," sighed the clones, though their collective voice appeared to be that of a single person, not an innumerable army. "You put so much effort into destroying my clones, but yet you feel you are making no progress."

"Your purpose could be clearer though," retorted Shakuho amidst a slash and parry. "You've brought us about a mile away from the Viajante and Alicia! You're trying to buy him time!"

"Correct," replied Fu's voice, the clones not letting up at all as she spoke. "But also false. You see, Master Viajante doesn't need me to draw you away; he prefers it, as his customs warrant. As far as time though, I'm not buying him any time – rather, I'm counting down your own!"

"Tough words," spat Yoruichi, blasting a wave of energy from her fists into an army of the clones – though as many evaporated seemed to come out of nowhere again.

"Perhaps I should tell you a secret," continued Fu's voice. "You've probably noticed by now, but my clones have a limit of about a hundred."

"What?" asked Kisuke, a little confused at Fu's declaration. "I've destroyed at least that many myself!"

"Maybe this is a poor choice on my part, but at least it will make it interesting," said Fu. "That limit is exactly that – a limit, but not an absolute limit. You see, as fast as you are killing my clones, I am remaking them, each new clone better equipped and positioned to destroy you. There is no limit to the number of clones my Bankai can create, as long as I don't fall asleep!" With that last word, Fu's maniacal voice began to cackle in laughter, and as she did the three found themselves being pressed harder and harder.

"This is impossible…" grumbled Yoruichi. "If only we could find the real Fu…"

"That would be a neat trick," retorted Fu's voice. "I'm sure if you were to survive long enough that would be an issue for me, but as it is…I don't think I'll have to worry. Ha!" The pressure from the army of clones increased even further, and the cuts and slashes on Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Shakuho's bodies began to increase from only a few scratches to now a full cadre of war wounds.

"Dammit…" cursed Kisuke, destroying several more clones with Benihime's bursts, but aside from this battle, a feeling from a mile away, even where Alicia and Ryojin were facing off, bothered him the most.

_Something isn't right…_ he thought as he fought off clone after clone. _Those feelings of darkness that Alicia exuded during our training are getting stronger and stronger. Something very bad is about to happen…_

(break)

"The waves at thy will I request!" cried out Alicia during her chant, her body now beginning to glow with a pale blue aura, almost like a blue flame. "The tempests of thy hand I declare! Give me, oh Lunestial glory, the power of the deep! BANKAI!"

From around her body a burst of energy flowed out, stirring up the dirt and dust and forming a thick cloud surrounding her body with a radius of at least ten feet. Instantly the air began to feel humid and moist to Ryojin, gradually increasing so much so that he had to wipe condensation from his forehead. Ahead of him the clouds of obscurity began to fade, and Alicia's body again was revealed – but now, it was completely different in almost every way.

First it was the sword, the first article visible in the fading clouds of dust. No longer was it a plain, short wakizashi of no considerable merit; now it was long and beautiful, the blade almost white along with an unbelievably ornate, Celtic-woven hand guard, larger than most. Along the blade were inscribed words in the Gaelic tongue: BAMIMPIRE MUIR ÉIREANN, the lettering sparkling with an iridescent blue glow. Then the handle was revealed, sapphire blue velvet and white ribbon wrapped tightly around the wood, Alicia's hand firmly grasping this most beautiful of zanpakuto. Finally from the hilt was attached a ring of pure silver, two long, sapphire ribbons waving majestically from their attachments. As the clouds faded into nothing, Alicia's dress became clear – silver fabric, running from her neck all the way to the ground, fit tightly and sensually to her body, a gorgeous sapphire velvet inlay flaring from her belly to the ground. Her sleeves also flared outward, hanging down from her wrists, and had one seen the image of Elizabeth in Alicia's mind, one would say the two were identical – except for Alicia's hair, which was woven into a complex and attractive braids and knots custom to the Celts.

"Magnificent…" gasped Ryojin, awestruck at Alicia's tremendous beauty in her Bankai state. "Absolutely marvelous…"

"Ryojin…" said Alicia suddenly, her voice low and malevolent, no kindness or mercy to be found within her tones. "Before I destroy you, I need to know – why have you been holding back on me? You control terrifying power with your dimensional manipulation…yet you seem to not use it against me."

"A fair question, for a fair lady," replied Ryojin somewhat smarmily. "Since this is to be a mortal fight, I see no danger in telling you, Captain Alicia Anders. You see, using dimensional rifts offensively is difficult to say the least; it requires significant preparation and concentration to carry out, and against a Captain that would leave me most vulnerable. In addition, were I to use a weaker version of the skill, your overwhelming Captain's reiatsu would negate my attacks away easily, just as I saw with your former comrade Captain Zaraki. After all, was I not only able to give you a small cut earlier?"

"So you fear me?" asked Alicia, wiping the few remaining trickles of blood off from her face, to which Ryojin simply smiled.

"No, I do not fear you," he replied. "But more than what I've told you, the biggest reason for not using my dimensional rifts mid-battle is this: I don't want to kill you, at least not yet." Ahead, Alicia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, though in reality she was following the promptings of Elizabeth inside of her.

"Very well, Ryojin Valhalla," declared Alicia resolutely. "I will destroy you, and stop this great evil you have brought upon us all." Alicia then raised her sword high into the air, and Ryojin waited for her to slash it like with her Shikai form.

_She's hesitating…_ thought Ryojin, ascertaining the situation. _Why isn't she slashing at me, unless…from below?_ The ground all around the two warriors began to shake and rattle, this rattling growing more and more intense as the milliseconds flew by.

"Elizabeth!" cried out Alicia, her sword still raised. "Queen of the Emerald Sea!" The ground all around began to violently shake at this point, and Ryojin, for the first time since he had encountered Alicia, frowned. Suddenly, sprays of high-pressure water began bursting from the ground, emerging as an overflowing spring from rapidly growing fissures until Ryojin found himself surrounded by a twenty-yard radius of water and sprays.

"You can't tell me this is it," frowned Ryojin. "After all, this is your Bankai."

"Go, Elizabeth," said Alicia softly with a wry smile. "Writhing Dragon!"

With the last syllable leaving her lips, the rattling and quaking of the earth piqued, and Ryojin felt himself being hurled into the air atop a broken piece of dirt and rock as a massive neck of pure water slashed up through the ground.

"What the…?" gasped Ryojin, adjusting his weight to stabilize his position on the rising raft of rock as he glimpsed the neck and the serpentine head atop. With a horrible roar the water monster shook every bone in Ryojin's body, and with the speed of a raging locomotive the snake-headed water beast lunged at the surfing Ryojin.

Steel flashed with light, and a red blur bisected the zanpakuto; Ryojin's scimitar dripped with water as the beast's head and neck fell in two – but not before he heard the rush of water from behind, only to turn and see the horrifying zanpakuto hurtling towards him, this time accompanied with entrained rocks and boulders.

"Fantastic power!" cried out Ryojin gleefully, a blaze of razor-like crimson ribbons shooting out from his position and destroying all the projectiles with ease.

"Not yet!" shouted Alicia, waving her sword in a circular motion on the ground below. "Elizabeth, surround him!" Above, the serpentine neck of Elizabeth's beastly, watery form rose in a circle around the still airborne – but now falling – Ryojin, closing him off in a prison of writhing, wrapping water.

"Not bad…" muttered Ryojin, conscious of his descent, but before he could utter another word a loud hiss came from above, and he saw the watery snake head of Elizabeth coming down for the kill. "It will take much more than that to defeat me, however!"

Ryojin leapt upward off the rock just before it crashed and crumbled into the deluged earth below, and with a familiar slash he cleaved his way through Elizabeth's head, flying forty feet into the air as the beast below vanished into a flood.

"Ha ha ha! This is marvelous!" laughed Ryojin, his face alight with the joy of intense battle. "Captain Anders, your power is beyond what I could have imagined!"

"This is nothing," replied Alicia from the ground below, eliciting a curious, child-like response from Ryojin, nearing the apex of his leap high up above her. "Empower me with they tides, Oh Queen! Gather my feet up, and deliver me to thy foes!" Below, water began to bubble and froth with ferocity below Alicia's silver-shod feet, and like a bullet two columns of water blasted her into the air towards Ryojin. Alicia swung her newly revealed blade and collided hard with Ryojin's scimitar, and the two were sent flying even further upward from the force.

Again and again Alicia slashed and sliced at Ryojin with all her strength, but Ryojin was incredibly skilled in his parries; not a single blow landed a hit. Instead all of her attacks were deflected by the smiling, energetic, and almost playful Ryojin, his gentle blue eyes alight with excitement as Alicia pummeled away.

"The ferocity of a Captain!" said Ryojin as he knocked away her strikes with ease. "Just what I experienced with Captain Zaraki, and now with you! I was wrong to expect so little…"

"Cocky bastard…" growled Alicia, her anger increasing as she looked upon his carefree, inappropriate visage. It was as she thus intensified her emotional displeasure that a strange, female voice interrupted her mind, far different from Elizabeth and catching her so off guard that she hesitated in her attacks – leaving Ryojin free to strike back.

_You hate him…_

Ryojin's counterstrike was swift and forceful, and Alicia barely gathered her senses to block it in time. However, the force was so great that she now found herself sailing like a meteor towards the fast-approaching ground, but Elizabeth's voice returned.

_Raise your sword and direct the Writhing Dragon to catch you_

Alicia did as directed, raising her sword skyward as she flew, and surely enough the Withering Dragon burst from the ground below her. As she splashed into its watery body, the wetness was all but gone, and Alicia touched softly upon the ground below dry and safe, the dragon vanishing once again in a flood, not unlike a water balloon popping upon the ground.

"Thanks, Elizabeth," said Alicia to herself. "Who was that other voice though?"

_Other voice?_ asked Elizabeth inside Alicia's mind. _What other voice?_

"I see you're unharmed," called out Ryojin from a good distance away, ahead of Alicia. "You are quite skilled!" Alicia felt the urge to cry out profanities at these words, but instead her anger towards the murderous Viajante only grew, and instead she slashed her sword through the air, the point stopping while directed at Ryojin, who now was running towards her.

As before, the massive Writhing Dragon of water burst from the ground, this time behind her, and flew through the air above her towards Ryojin, where it crashed into the ground with a tumultuous roar of a mighty waterfall. However, as soon as it crashed a crimson, circular blur appeared in front of the spray, and Ryojin emerged, unharmed, smiling and far closer.

"Again!" shouted Alicia, swinging her sword once again. As before, the Writhing Dragon crashed into the ground – but just as before, Ryojin emerged unharmed.

"That isn't going to work!" called out Ryojin with a smile, now only fifty yards away and closing fast.

"I'm not finished!" retorted Alicia angrily, and she reared up to slash her sword again.

_God took them away from you…_

Alicia's eyes widened and her heart skipped as these ominous words sounded in her mind. _That voice…_ she thought to herself, again momentarily losing control of her senses. _It's…it's my voice?_

_What are you talking about?_ exclaimed Elizabeth. _He's getting closer!_

As if waking from a nap, Alicia shook her head and scowled, raised her sword, and slashed again, sending the Writhing Dragon towards Ryojin – only this time, her target was gone, but only for a moment. As the water dragon crashed into empty ruble from the quickly-deteriorating and crumbling outskirts of Rukongai, Ryojin appear out of a blur, now only a few feet in front of Alicia.

"Got you," said Ryojin in a dark, sinister tone, a smile upon his handsome, perfect face. With a smooth, professional motion he swung his scimitar, Jigenseisokuka, down towards the right side of Alicia's chest, all while Alicia found herself completely flat-footed, with no recourse or defense. It was over.

_AND NOW HE WANTS TO TAKE EVEN MORE FROM YOU!_

Alicia's heart suddenly felt as though it was going to burst, but instead the force upon her soul from these horrid thoughts flew out of her body, colliding with a thoroughly shocked and surprised Ryojin and sending him flying backwards at a tremendous speed.

"GAH!" cried out the Viajante as he crashed into the ground and rubble, rolling for some thirty yards before coming to an awkward stop. "What…what the hell was that? Was that the power of…the key?" Beyond, Alicia stood motionless, shocked at what had just happened.

"I should be dead…" she muttered aloud to herself, he body still trembling from the sudden awareness of her near-demise. "What happened…what is happening to me?"

_What did you do to him?_ asked Elizabeth's somewhat frantic voice. _I didn't know you had that kind of power!_

"Neither did I…" replied Alicia slowly, raising her free left hand and looking at the palm as if to see some clue written upon it. Away from her, Ryojin got up to his feet though slowly, as he discovered his sword-wielding right arm was now broken from the impact.

"What a strange sensation…" winced Ryojin as he touched his forearm with his gloved left hand. "No matter though; I am proficient with both hands in the art of swordplay." Ryojin knelt and picked up Jigenseisokuka, his gloriously beautiful and fine scimitar, and turned to face Alicia, who at the same time was again trying to gather her wits.

_He's going to come again…_ observed Elizabeth to Alicia. _But he's significantly slower now, I can tell. His arm is broken, and his body seems to be in pain from your last attack. We have this chance, Alicia, to defeat him._

"Tell me how," demanded Alicia sternly, her faculties now collected and her gaze unwavering towards her foe. Ryojin, on the other hand, seemed to be standing still, his right arm hanging limply down while he stared, unsmiling, at Alicia.

"That was not the technique of a captain…" declared Ryojin in a stoic voice. "Nor that of a Hollow…" Ahead, Alicia ignored his observation and raised her white and sapphire sword into the air – only this time the effect was different. Cascades of water shot upward from the ground and began to collect upon the raised and outstretched blade of Elizabeth, the water seemingly entering the blade and vanishing.

"This is it for you, Viajante!" said Alicia sternly. "Even you won't be able to avoid this attack, especially in the state you are in! Behold, the greatest of Elizabeth, my zanpakuto! Almighty Current!" Alicia gripped the long handle of her sword with her left hand, and with a gloriously quick movement she slashed the sword all the way to the ground.

"No!" cried out Ryojin, his voice screwed up in terror, but it was too late.

Like a roaring avalanche an immense band of raging, razor-sharp water shot from Elizabeth's beautiful blade, identical in form to that in her Shikai form, but on a far greater scale. This band slashed and tore apart the earth in its path, moving so quickly that it almost exceeded the speed of sound. Dirt and mud filled the air as the torrent ripped the earth apart, a mighty crevice in the ground appearing in its wake, filling with tumultuous water and stretching to the horizon, miles beyond through the severed forest. As the sounds died down, Alicia could only gaze onward in awe at the destruction of her own making.

"We did it…" said Alicia after a moment, a smile coming upon her face. "We did it!"

_Yes!_ exclaimed Elizabeth happily inside Alicia's mind. _We defeated…wait, where is he?_ Amidst Alicia's joy she stopped for a moment and looked out upon the destruction. Surely enough, there was no sign, no corpse, nor any clues indicating where Ryojin's dead body would be.

"Did you know," started a man's voice from immediately behind Alicia. "If a person pushes a weak bond too far with a zanpakuto, it is incredibly easily to separate them? Just the reiatsu from another zanpakuto inside your body can do it." Before Alicia could react, before she could even think, she felt as though something had been torn from here, and without a warning Elizabeth's beautiful body fell onto the ground a few feet in front of Alicia, complete with silver dress.

"W…What…?" gasped Alicia, but as she spoke she realized that breathing was becoming very difficult. It was then that she noticed a large red stain upon Elizabeth's perfect chest, and as her eyes ventured further downward she saw the blade of Ryojin's scimitar sticking through her black kimono, just left of her sternum. With the horrible sound of steel raking across bone, the scimitar's blade was retracted, and Alicia fell to her knees, her body in such shock that she could not even string two thoughts, or even one, together.

"There is but one reason you have lost to me, Alicia Anders," declared Ryojin, standing behind Alicia like an executioner with a bloodied blade. "Inexperience. Did you not even think twice about me knowing your husband? Surely I would know exactly who the woman is that married my only son!" Below, tears began to roll down Alicia's cheeks as Ryojin's words brought Mark's image back to her mind, restoring some lucidity to her shock soul.

"How did I…?" stammered Alicia in a weak voice. "How did you…?"

"You failed to properly ascertain the skills of your opponent," continued Ryojin, his voice sounding like a teacher addressing a poor-performing student. "You thought that with something so simple as a broken arm, I wouldn't be able to use my zanpakuto's power. But then again, what can I expect from a woman who has only been a shinigami for a day, and has had a zanpakuto for even less time than that? You see, Alicia, had you truly been a Captain of Soul Society, someone well versed in the ways of war, you would have seen that my skill is not merely some trick, but an intrinsic part of my soul. Such is the bond between zanpakuto and their masters."

"But…" started Alicia, but even she didn't know how to respond to Ryojin's ascertainment. "But…why?"

"Why?" mused Ryojin, stepping around from behind and looking down upon Alicia's fallen face, now covered in tears of disappointment and failure. "Call it curiosity, I guess. I mean, a human girl suddenly becomes a shinigami, and in almost no time at she is expressing her Bankai as though she's had it for decades? How could I not be curious. But the fact alone that you were able to wield so much power with such a new and immature spirit has me sufficiently convinced that something does reside in your soul. Perhaps even one of the unassigned keys of this realm dwells within you?" Ryojin slowly reached out his gloved left hand and reached down towards Alicia, who could do nothing but wait for death to greet her. But instead of touching her, Ryojin's face fell into a state of ennui and discontent as a series of shadows overcame the Viajante and the fallen Alicia.

"Fools…" growled Ryojin as the blades of Shakuho Hitokage, Kisuke Uruhara, and the burning, glowing fist of Yoruichi Shihoin approached from behind him, all three of their bodies beaten and bruised as their target stood only inches away from their death-dealing strikes. A massive flash of blood-red crimson and infinite black erupted from Ryojin's body, and with three sprays of blood the three fell to ground lifeless, just as Elizabeth before them. Ryojin, meanwhile, nearly collapsed after this display, his breathing heavy and hard as though he had run a marathon.

"N…No…" gasped Alicia breathlessly, her eyes awash with sorrow and despair.

_He's taking them all away from you…_

"ALICIA-SAN! NO!" From the bushes a small orange stuffed animal emerged, racing across the destroyed and torn earth towards his new favorite, his new idol.

"Kon…no!" whispered Alicia, her voice without any foundation though all she wanted was to scream out to her friends to run away.

"Unbelievable…" grumbled Ryojin, his irate voice growing even more so, and with a single glare a red streak shot across Kon's stuffed animal body, bursting several of his seams and causing the frail toy to tumble to a stop on the ground, his nasal, intensely annoying voice silenced by Ryojin's cruelty. Alicia's tears continued to roll as yet another friend fell, the agony pulling so hard upon her soul that she failed to noticed the despicable and heavily-tattooed Fu approaching Ryojin with a disgusted look upon her face

_You'll always be alone…forever…_

"All of you are fools!" shouted Ryojin into the air, his face becoming contorted with anger in such a way that Alicia could not have imagined. "Why can't you see that I am trying to save you? Why are you fighting against your God?"

"Because they are ants compared to you," said Fu from a few yards behind Ryojin. "The weak always envy the powerful, and seek to destroy them in their jealousy."

_You'll never be happy…you might as well just kill them all and be miserable…_

"I thought I told you to deal with them," growled Ryojin to his remaining follower.

"Yeah, well, the green-hat guy shouted out 'Alicia-san!' and the three ran away from me," replied Fu in a defensive tone. "It was all I could to keep up with those three; they're a lot faster than one would think."

_Your life is worthless…just give in and destroy them all…you can do it…_

"It doesn't matter now," said Ryojin angrily, turning his eyes back to Alicia, whose face was now looking towards the ground, her visage set in complete shock as the horrible thoughts enveloped her entire soul.

"Hey, these guys are still alive!" exclaimed Fu after observing Kisuke's still-breathing body. "Why didn't you kill them?"

_KILL…KILL THEM ALL!_

"NOOOOO!" screamed out Alicia suddenly as she grabbed her head with her hands, her voice curdling and extending beyond the range of a normal human. Higher and higher the pitch of her scream grew, and with a mighty burst a black cloud enveloped her kneeling, screaming body. Fu and Ryojin immediately leapt backwards several yards, both grasping their swords due to this new occurrence.

"What is happening to her…?" asked Fu slowly, her violet eyes fixed upon the rolling black clouds surrounding Alicia, completely blocking her out from their view. Ryojin, on the other hand, said nothing, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as he watched the clouds billow. Then, as if three lights had been turned on inside the cloud, two glowing, neon-violet eyes appeared, void of any pupils or features, followed by a high-pitched whisper, so chilling and disconcerting that Ryojin actually began to tremble as it spoke.

"I am going to kill you, Ryojin Valhalla…"

**Next chapter: THE INNER DARKNESS**

**BONUS!** I'm hitting the road with my wife, but I'll still be updating during my travels! Mucho amor! The asterisk (*) means I don't want to go through the explanation of a cero. Okay fine: it's a collection and release of dark energy, typical for Menos and other powerful Hollows. It is always feared and it always scares all the shinigami, but when push comes to shove it doesn't actually do anything**, and they are apparently super easy to dodge. There.

**Except for the Espada ones.


	36. Chapter 35: The Inner Darkness

**CHAPTER 35: THE INNER DARKNESS**

The black, tornado-like fog continued to swirl before Ryojin and Fu, both of whom waited anxiously; Alicia Anders had screamed out suddenly before, after which this cloud had appeared. In so doing, a new sensation had come across the entire scene, stretching distant enough to direct the fearful remaining residents of West Rukongai to flee. Then, without any warning, three bright, violet points of light appeared within the fog, two being blank, luminous eye shapes, while the third was that of a wrenched-open mouth, horrifying like a demon of the abyss. From this mouth were then uttered words that froze Ryojin's soul with confusion and fear.

"I am going to kill you, Ryojin Valhalla…"

"Fu, get ready…!" started Ryojin as he heard these words, but a terrifying deluge of blood coursed the air before him, emanating from right where Fu was standing next to him. Ryojin turned his head just in time to see Alicia now standing next to Fu, the latter falling backwards with a blank, lifeless stare in her eyes. Alicia's arm was raised out to the side and straight, covered in tissue and blood after having cut nearly all the way through Fu's stomach. Time slowed to a crawl for Ryojin as he stared in shock at his trusted Fu as she fell dead to the ground several feet back from where she had stood, covered in crimson.

"Fu…!" exclaimed Ryojin, but no sooner had he spoken than Alicia turned her face and attention towards him. Her general appearance was the same as before, aside from her horrifying, glowing violet eyes and mouth, each breath from her mouth glowing like a violet fire. _She's so fast…I didn't even see her leave the fog!_

"YOU'RE NEXT!" cried out Alicia in a screeching, high-pitched demonic voice, resonating like two combined voices as she grinned a terrible grin. "GYAH HA HA!" Alicia slashed her free arm at Ryojin, the movement so fast the air was split around it, creating a thunderous noise at it moved.

_Too fast!_ thought Ryojin, his eyes wide as he blocked Alicia's bare hand with the blade of Jigenseisokuka, but before he knew it he was flying backwards through the air from the tremendous force of Alicia's strike. With quick thinking and deft movement, Ryojin stabbed toward the ground below and stuck his sword into the hard, dusty ground of western Rukongai, arching his back and thrusting his body around to find his footing as he slowed to a halt. Alicia now stood some sixty yards away form him, with nightmarish, glaring eyes and devilish, glowing mouth easily distinguished even from that distance. Alicia's demeanor was totally, completely different from just a few moments before; Ryojin saw nothing of this vitriolic, bloodthirsty monster before him in Alicia, but now that was all different. Alicia had changed, and Ryojin shuddered with the realization of exactly who she had become.

"You're one of _them_, aren't you?" asked Ryojin coldly, gathering his wits and composure after losing them to Alicia's mighty strike. "The eyes, the glow, the dark feeling so strong it could freeze Hell with a breath…you're a Sorrow."

"HA!" screeched Alicia in her crazed, otherworldly tone. "Sorrow? You think _this_ is sorrow? Look at me now! Look at the power – the raw, overwhelming power! I AM GREATER THAN THE GODS!"

"Then it is confirmed…" said Ryojin softly, much sorrow and discontentment in his voice. He then lowered his eyes slightly, keeping Alicia in the fuzzy field of view while looking down at his sword. "When I first released Jigenseisokuka into this form, I was weak and had no power at all. Since then I have become stronger with his power to guide me; I can only hope that I have enough power to eradicate a monster like you."

"GYAH HA HA!" cried out Alicia gleefully as Ryojin finished his words, leaping in the air with speed like unto the relampago of the Holies, thundering across the distance between them like a bullet.

"I wished not to do this…" muttered Ryojin to himself, closing his eyes in deep concentration. "I will unleash my full force to kill you!" Alicia's destructive hand neared Ryojin, approaching only a foot away from his heart, but as it reached that threshold Ryojin's eyes opened quickly, a look of consternation and anger upon his otherwise perfect face. With a shout he stretched his unbroken left arm upward and out, the sword pointed outward, and with a sudden halt Alicia stopped in her tracks, her hand vanished into a small crimson void that immediately shrunk around her wrist.

"I'm not finished with you yet!" growled Ryojin, bringing his arm down quickly and flicking his wrist towards Alicia's free hand, where another dimensional rift appeared and moved over it, causing it to disappear like the last. Again the void constricted around this wrist, and Alicia found herself trapped and unable to free her hands from Ryojin's dimensional grasp.

"WHAT?" cried out Alicia in demonic shock, but by that point Ryojin was already behind her, his sword raised for the kill.

"You may be the natural enemy to the Holies, but I am the greatest Holy of them all!" Ryojin slashed his sword horizontally through Alicia's neck, and for a moment all was silent. A small spray of blood left the beheading wound, and Alicia stopped struggling against the dimensional entrapments. Behind, Ryojin gave a deep sigh of relief amid his panting from overexertion; surgically accurate dimensional rifts were very difficult to do with such speed, and such behavior stretched the power lent to him by Jigenseisokuka dangerously thin. Nevertheless, he gave a short chuckle as he realized Alicia was dead.

"To think you of all people…" he muttered under his breath, but a stirring from Alicia's lifeless body interrupted him. With horrified eyes Ryojin looked up to see the wound through Alicia's neck closing, her head never having left her body. "No…"

"You'll have to better than that to kill me! GYAH HA HA!" With strength hitherto unseen, Alicia cried out with a devilish scream of the abyss, and with a single motion the two dimensional bindings on her wrists shattered under her strength.

"No!" shouted Ryojin in disbelief. "Impossible! Those are dimensional rifts; spirit power alone cannot break the fabric of space, unless…"

"Spirit?" asked Alicia, spinning around and slashing her arm and hand at Ryojin, this time ready for the attack and dodging it by jumping backwards. "Why would a being so great as I need spirit? HA HA HA!"

"The Sorrows are truly reckless beings…" observed Ryojin, successfully dodging two more strikes from Alicia. "You use your own body as a weapon, disintegrating your own spirit matter and using the energy released as a weapon!"

"The blocks on my mind are removed, as are the limitations from God!" exclaimed Alicia proudly. "You Holies can't be trusted with your own strength! That's why you'll never be as great as me!"

_She's remembering so much, so quickly…_ thought Ryojin, avoiding yet another attack cleanly. _The rumors were true then…but if they are, then she won't remember everything – and that's why she is so dangerous. God, why did this have to happen?_ As his thoughts ended Alicia's hand flew towards his face, and he raised his sword just in time to block it – only to find himself again airborne from the immense power behind her attacks. This time, however, his flight was awkward, and with a crash he landed hard upon the ground, rolling until colliding into a pile of rubble from an earlier battle.

"This feeling!" shouted Alicia as Ryojin rolled, her screeching voice echoing across the town like a train whistle. "THIS POWER!" With arms raised to the heavens she began to cackle with insanity, every shred of the former Alicia, all the kindness, all the love and empathy – all of it complete gone, replaced with this demonic construct.

"I have to stop her…" said Ryojin softly to himself as he slowly stood up, his white raiment now completely soiled and torn from his battles. "The mission can wait; if Alicia is permitted to exist as a Sorrow, it won't matter in the end who becomes god…"

_I have given you almost all I can give!_ exclaimed a scratchy voice within his mind. _I'm already taxed as it is containing two planets and your Plane, but now to face a Sorrow, this mythical monster of ages past…_

"Even if it means the extinguishing of all my own strength, I must utterly destroy her," continued Ryojin, drawing a gasp from his zanpakuto. "The Sorrows are capable of unbelievable destruction; I must do this. Please Jigenseisokuka…be strong!"

_But your right arm…_ said Jigenseisokuka in a pleading tone. _It's completely broken beyond use! You are no match for her! If you still had your Priesthoods, maybe…_

"Have faith, my loyal friend," said Ryojin confidently, raising his head to look upon Alicia, who already was running towards him, her face alight with murderous insanity in her glowing eyes. Ryojin then held out his blade, the tip pointing at his approaching enemy. With a deep, heavy breath Ryojin closed his eyes and scowled, his teeth clenched and his veins bulging with stress and pressure. Before him, his sword began to glow vibrantly crimson as Alicia neared, her cackling unceasing from her ever-grinning maw.

_Not yet…_ thought Ryojin, his entire person now in a state of distress as he focused harder and harder, the energy from his sword flowing onto his skin and enveloping his body. It was at this point that he let out a scream, and with his eyes bursting open he looked into the heavens and cried out in pain.

"NOW!"

All around the ground began to shake, but despite this Alicia's flight continued, her cackling and demonic laughter continuing. It was then, as she stepped within ten yards of Ryojin, that something happened which she did not expect. As if by magic, the ground beneath her for thirty feet around vanished, the depths of the hole beneath too far to be seen even at mid-day. However, despite the vanished ground, she held her position mid-air, stopped and peering with curiosity at Ryojin, whom now had his sword raised into the air. As Alicia noticed this, an immense shadow overcame her, and she looked upward with her violent eyes to see a massive pillar of earth falling like a comet towards her.

"There is no escaping this," said Ryojin coldly, and immediately the column collided with Alicia, pushing her body into the hole with a ferocious velocity. For several seconds the column coursed down the hole, thousands of feet of earth flashing before Ryojin's eyes until at last it crushed into the bottom, rattling the earth and knocking down many previously undamaged building around them.

"And now the final blow!" cried out Ryojin, vanishing into a blur of crimson, only to appear twenty feet in the air. "GYAH!" With his body alight with crimson energy, Ryojin fell and crashed into the ground, his sword slashing into the center of the displaced column of earth. Like an apocalyptic vision the ground exploded with a massive, tight matrix of razor-thin bands of dimensional energy, and as these bands vanished the ground again rattled and compressed from the immense fracturing. Seconds passed, and the rattling and grinding noises vanished, leaving Ryojin again in silence.

"Did it work…?" gasped Ryojin, collapsing upon the ground, his heavy breathing no abatement for his fatigue. Blood trickled down from his nose from the pressure exerted on his body, mingling with that from previous wounds, and though he wanted to wipe it off his lips he lacked the strength to do so; as such, he merely sat in silence recovering upon the ground, a small smile coming to his disheveled face. "I did it…"

No sooner had he finally relaxed than a rumbling noise appeared, jarring him back into reality. Within a second of this din erupting, the displaced column burst like a volcano of dirt and debris, showering Ryojin with rock and dust. Without any strength in his left arm, Ryojin could do nothing but close his eyes to the rocky shower, but amidst the pelting projectiles another feeling came upon his body – a firm grasp of his neck, followed by a jolt into the air.

"That hurt…" growled Alicia's voice, and Ryojin opened his eyes to see Alicia standing below him, her face bloodied slightly above her left eyebrow, but otherwise unharmed. Ryojin hung helplessly from her right hand, Alicia suspending the Viajante effortlessly above her.

"D-Dammit…" cursed Ryojin as he looked into Alicia horrible eyes. "Your sorrow must be great to have such power…"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY PAIN!" screamed Alicia, her voice so loud and intense Ryojin felt his bones would shatter. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO LOSE EVERYTHING! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE ALONE!"

_No…you're wrong…_

Below, Alicia's eyes suddenly softened for a moment, but this did not last long. After only a few seconds she scowled again, growling like a beast as he raged intensified. Above, Ryojin's heart beat faster and faster; he was beaten, helpless, and now his life was at the whim of this demon. It was soon to be over.

"You and everyone in the world will perish until I can find the answer to my pain," growled Alicia. "Only by taking life can I know what life truly is; this power is merely a means for me to find the answers, the knowledge, the feelings I need. As a Holy, you hold knowledge and answers that I need to grow and become stronger; destroying you will allow me to grow beyond the limits of human spirit! By killing you, your spirit will be absorbed into my own, and your knowledge will become mine! GYAH HA HA HA!" Below, energy began to gather around Alicia's feet, and just as it began to glow with a pale white luminescence Alicia flicked her wrist upward, launching Ryojin a couple feet into the air, where Alicia's demonic voice again rang out.

"I WILL DESTROY THE WORLD YOU WANT TO SAVE!"

The energy gather at Alicia's feet became turbulent like ocean waves over jagged rocks, and like an atomic detonation it burst outward, blasting away Ryojin, the town, and everything in its wake.

(break)

"What terrible reiatsu!" exclaimed Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro of Squad Ten, a young, handsome, white-haired child dressed in a small, fine captain's haori. Together with the remaining captains (Captains Zaraki, Kuchiki, and Kurotsuchi were either missing or dead), as well as the vice-captains for the squads, Toshiro raced out of the Sereitei gate, the massive wall of Sekki Sekki stone circling the inner city of Soul Society. Only Head Captain Yamamoto remained within the city, the last great warrior left should they all be killed by Ryojin, and this feeling of dread permeated the large group. After all, each captain – Yamamoto excepted – had accepted a special wartime order stripping them of their titles, leaving them merely shinigami (this fact had little to no effect on the vice-captains, however, since most of them still feared their captains' power).

"Hitsugaya," asked a voice from just behind Toshiro, the same voice of Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, complete with straw hat and bright pink coat. "This is not reiatsu I'm familiar with; maybe we should back off a bit."

"It could be a hollow," retorted Toshiro. "If the Viajante is in bed with the hollows of Hueco Mundo, we have an obligation to destroy him and any hollows with him as soon as possible."

"I don't think this belongs to a hollow…" added yet another voice as the group ran through the streets of Rukongai, this belonging to the massive, canine Captain Komamura his yellow eyes focused ahead on the intense spiritual waves coming from the intense battle miles ahead. "I've never felt anything this…dark…"

"This goes beyond anything I've ever felt, even in my most difficult battles with the hollows," added Captain Soi Fon of squad two, a petite, attractive dark-haired woman with large rings woven into two braids of hair from her head. "Something about it makes me feel very uneasy."

"Well, we still have to go," continued Toshiro resolutely. "The Viajante is trying to destroy Soul Society, and it is up to…us…what is this?" Toshiro and the rest of the party stopped as a growing ruble interrupted them, but before they could do anything but cry out in surprise the buildings around them shattered from a wave of force so powerful it knocked them all backwards further and further until crashing into the walls surrounding Sereitei. For several moment the wave pushed against them, but after a moment it subsided, and the warriors began to pull themselves out.

"Western Rukongai…is gone?" gasped the silver-haired Captain Jyuushiro Ukitake as he shook himself out of the rubble.

"Fortunately it seems that no one was left in the city," observed Kyoraku, freeing himself though now without his hat, a fact that elicited a frown upon his face. "But for now, I think we should wait."

"Why is that?" asked one of the vice-captains, this being Nanao Ise of Kyoraku's squad. Above, Kyoraku's eyes did not leave the distant, force-swept terrain before them.

"The Viajante is trying to capture the keys while the captains are still alive," declared Kyoraku insightfully. "He also seems to not want unnecessary losses as seen with Vice-Captain Yachiru-chan. _That_ was a technique of pure death and destruction. In other words, the Viajante didn't create that wave of energy – it was used against him."

(break)

Ryojin's closed eyes winced as he slowly came to. His body roared with pain, the bulk of it coming from his right shoulder where, as he slowly moved his head to see, his broken right arm was missing, torn off from the demonic Alicia's blast. An emotionless look set in Ryojin's face, a neutrality formed by the sorrow of his being defeated, the anger of failing, and the utter disappointment of not being strong enough to realize his dreams.

"I couldn't defeat the enemy I was trained to destroy…" mumbled Ryojin softly to himself, the words mixed with spattering of blood leaking from his mouth. "How could someone like me ever hope to be God…" His entire body was in disarray, many of his bones broken, but not so many that he couldn't stand. Instinctively he started to get up, his stamina having recovered despite Alicia's attack, but before he could rise even an inch a shadow overcame him projected from a woman standing directly in front of him, her burning purple eyes raining terror upon his heart.

"I'm surprised to see you in this state," said Alicia, her voice softer than before but still harrowing and shrill. "Here I thought you were this unbeatable villain, yet before my transformation you are nothing."

"I admit I was a fool from the very beginning," replied Ryojin, his voice gaining strength ever so slightly. "I traded my powers as a Holy, thinking they might be enough of a sacrifice to bring down the God of this world…"

"None of that matters now, though," interrupted Alicia, wicked delight streaming through her voice as he eyes widened in anticipation. "You, God, Soul Society…none of it matters…" Alicia smiled a terrible grin, the flaming purple energy bursting from her mouth like a volcano as she took a deep breath and spoke, her words so powerful and profane that Ryojin felt he would perish under them.

"BECAUSE NOW I AM GOD! GYAH HA HA HA!"

Alicia drew her right arm backwards as she laughed, her hand straight in preparation, and with a quick movement she thrust it forward, its destination Ryojin's heart. Below her, Ryojin closed his eyes, and single tear rimming his eyelids, and he prepared to be vanquished. However, a second passed, and still there was no contact, no bone-crushing stab to snuff away his life. Hesitatingly Ryojin opened his eyes and looked up, only to see Alicia's glowing eyes set in a state of distress and panic, her body trembling, and her hand mere millimeters away from Ryojin's chest. Without a warning Alicia grabbed her head and lurched backwards, letting out a cry and scream so intense the ground beneath shattered from the disturbed energy inside.

_It's not like I didn't want this…_

_When confronted with the choice of death or power, I chose the power. It's what anyone would have done, I think. Here was Ryojin, the one who took my husband from me, the one who took the world away…and I found myself pushed to the edge of insanity by all he had done. My friends, he hurt…my heart, he broke…_

_That's when I realized what that voice in my head was – it was me, but the darker side of me. You see, I've had a painful past; I lost my family when I was a teenager, all of them – my brothers, my sister, my __parents__, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles…everyone was lost so suddenly, leaving me completely alone in the world. They said the boat sank because of a storm and a coral reef, and I was lucky to be sick and not there with them when it happened._

_That's what they all said, but inside I knew the real reason I was still alive. The truth was that I had a fight with my mom before the big family reunion out on the ocean, and I decided to lock myself in my room while they went. I was so mad, so angry; I hated her, I hated them all, but really I was just angry at myself for flying off the handle like I did. The specifics aren't important, but even when I tried to convince myself otherwise, from that day on I felt that God had wronged me personally._

_I wasn't mad at the boat's captain, nor the storm, nor the rocks, nor even myself; I hated God for this, for taking away everything from me. When you direct all your hatred towards God, it doesn't matter how many people you hurt in revenge or anger; you will never be able to find peace, because you know that God is your enemy, the all powerful, all knowing God that somehow loves you but then is eager to destroy your life without warning or reason. Such an anger and depression destroyed my spirit, and while Mark did help me quell the pain, I never could shake it._

_Now here I was, defeated by the man who would be God, and when the darkness told me it would take care of me, and destroy God for me, I agreed and gave myself to her. Consider it buyer's remorse, but now, I don't want this. It is too dark, too evil, too insane…_

_I just want to be Alicia again._

Alicia Anders opened her eyes to a terrible sight. The pleasant mountains and twin peaks of her spirit were now burning, the deep valleys filled with smoke, ash, and molten rock, and the ground she stood of trembled as she looked onward towards the nearby peak, the same occupied by Elizabeth before. There, upon the rumbling mountain height stood another Alicia, though this was dark and malevolent, her eyes violet and angry, her hair blowing wildly in the tempest blowing around them.

"Welcome to our new world, Alicia!" cried out the Sorrow Alicia from across the pass. "The world of power! The world of your peace and happiness!"

"How could this be happiness?" retorted Alicia, her hands empty of any weapon against her terrifying other self. "All I see is pain and suffering!"

"How else can you achieve peace except by destroying those who hurt you?" posed the Sorrow. "Unless you vanquish them all, they will always come back to hurt you, every single one! Even God must be destroyed, for he will wrong you again, just as he did by letting Mark be taken away from you!"

"No…" replied Alicia softly, tears coming to her lovely though strained green eyes. "I don't want this. I admit I was angry at God, but after hearing Ryojin's tale, I realize that I was wrong."

"LIES!" shouted the Sorrow Alicia with ferocity. "That worm knows nothing of your pain – of OUR pain!"

"That's not true," countered Alicia, her sorrow subsiding as she gained confidence against her dark self. "Don't you see that Ryojin and I are almost the same? We both made mistakes, we both had our families torn from us, we both blamed God…" Ahead, the Sorrow Alicia scowled and gritted her teeth as Alicia drew and breath and finished her words.

"Ryojin knows how I feel, and I know how he feels, probably better than anyone in the whole world."

"He is your enemy!" shouted the Sorrow Alicia angrily, causing the world to tremble more strongly as her words echoed across the tumultuous mountains.

"But he doesn't have to be!" shouted Alicia back. "He said he could bring Mark back…perhaps he could bring them all back too."

"He destroyed everyone you cared for! I will not let you get in my way!"

"Your way?" asked Alicia coarsely. "Who are you to be commanding me? I am who Alicia really is!"

"Bullshit!" spat the Sorrow. "Your darkness rules you, and always will! And why shouldn't it? Look at the strength you now have! You can destroy with a single touch; you don't even need a zanpakuto!"

"Elizabeth is my source of power," contradicted Alicia to her Sorrow form, causing the sorrow to growl in anger. "She loves me, and I love her; for you, I have nothing but antipathy! I want you to leave me alone!"

"Pff, if you cast me out, then Ryojin will win," laughed the Sorrow. "You have become his natural enemy, anathema to his duty as a Holy, and nothing you will say will change his mind from destroying you. Besides, Elizabeth is dead! You destroyed her already-wounded body during that last attack!" For a moment Alicia was silent, a pang of anguish for the pain she must have caused Elizabeth shot through her heart, but with the resolute defiance against her dark self came a new feeling, warm and comforting, beautiful and bright.

"You're wrong," said Alicia with a smile. "Elizabeth lives on in my heart; she and I are one now, and nothing can break us apart!" Alicia raised her right hand into the air, and with a flash the Bankai form of Elizabeth, the beautiful white blade and Celtic hand guard, sapphire ribbons and wrappings and all, appeared out of thin air. Alicia clasped the handle of her blade and smiled again, happy to see her friend, but this look only persisted for a moment before turning again to the Sorrow, her eyes scowled and filled with desire to eject this monster from her soul.

"I AM YOUR POWER!" cried out the Sorrow, her voice piercing the mountainside below and causing a rockslide. "ELIZABETH IS WEAK!"

"Even if she is…" started Alicia. "She is my zanpakuto, and I have no room for you in my soul. Get out…" Alicia raised Elizabeth into the air, and like a hurricane water from all over the inner spirit world of Alicia Ander poured into the blade, illuminating it blue and white, until it radiated with such energy that it pained Alicia to hold.

"You can do whatever you want with this power…" stammered the Sorrow, whose eyes were now wide with fright. "You can destroy anyone…you can save anyone! You are a goddess with this power! How can you turn your back on me?" Ahead, Alicia's face turned stony and cold towards her Sorrow form as she took a deep breath to speak.

"I turned my back on myself," said Alicia softly. "I'll never be able to look Mark in the face again…not unless I right this wrong! Elizabeth, Almighty Current!" Alicia slashed her sword, and it was instantaneously over. The wave coursed across the space beyond, and Alicia's Sorrow fell from the pinnacle peak in two, cut cleanly down the center of her demonic body – but only for a moment before disintegrating with such clamor and din that Alicia was forced out of the world.

(break)

"GAAAH!" screamed Alicia as she held her head as if it would burst. Below, Ryojin only could gaze with awe as Alicia writhed in exquisite agony. Then, as though two dark weights were lifted, two bursts of energy flew out from her shoulders into the air, vanishing and taking with them all the devastating spiritual pressure. Silent became the air, and Ryojin felt his body become stronger with the departing reiatsu. Alicia now lay upon the ground, supported somewhat by her own arms, though her breathing was so intense that merely exhaling was almost enough to knock her onto her chest.

"I'm not going to ask you what happened…" declared Ryojin after several moments, now standing above Alicia in the swept away ruin of western Rukongai, Jigenseisokuka in his remaining, still gloved left hand. "I don't want to know what happened inside of you to cause such a transformation, but…" Ryojin stabbed his zanpakuto into the ground and raised his hand to his teeth, where he bit the middle finger lightly and removed the glove, exposing an untarnished palm and fingers.

"I have to see…"

Alicia, unable to move away, simply clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, awaiting death as Ryojin's hand contacted her body and froze her in place. However, none came, and after several moments her body relaxed and she reopened her eyes to see Ryojin's hand just above her back, the Viajante now kneeling next to her with a discouraged look on his face.

"It isn't there…" he said softly, his smooth, masculine voice cracking as he spoke. "You don't have a key within you. I might have guessed, but…I just had to see. Something was giving you strength and control, and there was the possibility that a key had chosen you to be its vessel…"

"Ryojin…" said Alicia between breaths, in a tone so caring and empathic that it nearly shook a tear from Ryojin's eyes. "You don't have to keep doing this. I…I lost my whole family in a terrible accident, and I felt so alone, so angry…I blamed God for it all. I deep down wanted to make him suffer for me, but…"

"You know that you can't do anything about it," replied Ryojin softly, sorrow now entering his voice as he hung his face down towards the ground. "Even from the beginning, I knew that my chances of success were minimal, and more recently I knew that it was practically impossible. I put my emotions ahead of my reason, my pride above logic."

"Then why are you still doing this?" asked Alicia. "Why don't you turn around and make things right?" Seconds of silence passed before Ryojin spoke again, this time his voice must softer, much more dejected.

"I've come so far…" he said softly. "I've done so much evil…so much that I could never be forgiven. My lot is to destroy or be destroyed by God; I wanted to save everyone so badly…that I lost my own soul along the way." Ryojin then stood up, walked over to and picked up his sword.

"What…what are you doing?" gasped Alicia as she looked into Ryojin's eyes, cold and dark, far different than ever before.

"What you became is our greatest enemy," he said without emotion. "What you became is the single-most destructive force upon the spirits of this life. What you became is what wiped out nearly two-thirds of our spiritual ancestors. I cannot permit you to live, Alicia Anders; by death and forcing your spirit to move on to whatever realm it may, there is a chance that evil inside you can be expunged."

"B-But…" gasped Alicia, trying to crawl away but collapsing upon the ground, knocking her wind from her.

"I'm sorry," said Ryojin. "I must do my duty." No further words were exchanged between them, and Ryojin raised is sword into the air in preparation for the mortal strike.

"Forgive me, Alicia Anders."

**Next chapter: SACRIFICE**

**BONUS!**  
Running up the bleak mountainside, Ichigo suddenly came to a halt, a burning question on his mind.

"Ichigo?" asked Orihime as she turned to see Ichigo, his face contorted in confusion.

"Hey Lucian-san!" he called out, waving his hand to the handsome blonde Holy. "Lucian, I got a question." Ahead, Lucian stopped and turned to the orange-haired shinigami.

"Yes?" he replied.

"So, if we all have these keys inside our spirits…" started Ichigo. "Why didn't Ryojin just use his dimensional portals and, you know, throw us in here? Why did he have to kill us first?"

"Oh, that is a very good question!" exclaimed Lucian with curious excitement and happiness. "You see, the spirit keys are semi-sentient, meaning they have a partial understanding of their surroundings. When a person dies, the key immediately leaves the body and searches for a suitable host."

"Yeah, but that doesn't answer my question," replied Ichigo annoyedly.

"Patience, Ichigo," counseled Lucian. "Now then, it is important to note that this dimension of Ryojin's creation lies _outside_ the normal realm of existence for spirits, namely, the Jizengensei, the Mortal, the Afterlife, and the Eternal. Within the Afterlife there are many different destinations, but no matter how strange they may be, each is part of the natural order – but not Ryojin's."

"Oh!" exclaimed Inoue animatedly. "So since it isn't a normal place for a spirit, if he sent our bodies here alive, the key would think we were dead and leave our bodies!"

"And then he wouldn't be able to capture them," added Chad insightfully.

"Correct!" said Lucian happily with a gentle clapping of the hands. "Therefore, in order to properly capture the keys, he needed to both kill the host and capture the keys at the same time by removing our spiritual cores, which is exactly what he has done with each of us."

"Then once our spirits were captured…" chimed in Ishida – after adjusting his glasses. "Our spirits reformed our bodies just as they were before, since the spirit key is infused within the spirit core."

"Very good!" replied Lucian with a smile. "You all catch on very quickly. There, Ichigo; did that help?" Below, Ichigo's eye twitched as his mouth hung open.

_How can I be the only one who doesn't know what the hell is going on?_


	37. Chapter 36: Sacrifice

**CHAPTER 36: SACRIFICE**

"We're here!" called out Lucian as he reached the summit of the deceivingly tall and massive mountain. Declan had reached the summit shortly before him; the others, however, were collapsed upon the steep mountainside several hundred yards below them.

"Seriously guys…" gasped Ichigo, who lay on his back with his arms and legs sprawled. "We go through hell down there, and then you ask us to climb Mount Everest?"

"We're sorry, Lucian-san!" called back Inoue who was resting upon her knees, her face flushed from exhaustion." We're just a little tired from our battle with those bad Holies!"

"Well, you don't have time to be resting," scolded Lucian. "If you think they were difficult, consider that Ryojin Valhalla awaits you. He is ten times the Fallen Ones combined!"

"But we're already so weakened!" retorted Ishida, leaping up from the ground to shake his fist angrily at Lucian. "Defeating them was almost enough to kill ourselves! How can you expect us to fight someone so powerful?"

"Well, hopefully our efforts here will have some effect, right Commodore?" asked Declan to Lucian, though his tone was still untrusting (earlier, Lucian had broken Declan's faith in him when the latter learned of a terrible lie in Lucian's past).

"Hopefully…" replied Lucian somewhat shallowly, as if he had only been partially listening. This, however, was not true at all; ever since his battle with Callous his mind had been troubled – troubled, yet resolute.

_…there is no other way. With your zanpakuto, you can…_

Lucian winced suddenly from the pain emanating form his stab wound, but when Declan came over to interrogate, he deftly hid the blood soaked garments from view.

"Lucian, are you all right? Do you need to rest yourself?" asked Declan.

"I'll be fine, Declan," lied Lucian with a smile. "I got a little banged up back there, but I'll be fine." Behind them, Ichigo, Aiseki, Orihime, Uryuu, and Chad reached the summit, immediately collapsing upon the ground yet again in a heap.

"You don't look 'fine' to me," countered Declan affirmatively, ignoring the noise coming from the others. "If you're injured gravely before we face Ryojin…"

"I'm sorry," said Lucian softly, to which Declan wildly shook his head.

"You don't need to apologize, just get healed…"

"No," continued Lucian, his face hung low and his eyes towards the ground. "I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I let you down; I'm sorry I let everyone down." Declan sighed and closed his eyes, stroking his short goatee with his right hand for a moment as he framed his words together.

"Master…" said Declan softly, enough so that it didn't disturb the others who were now arguing over some inconsequential thing, Ichigo's voice being by far the loudest (it appeared that Ishida had insulted his honor in some way). "You took me in as a young Saint, and trained with me tirelessly till I graduated into the Holy Commissions. You were there for me when I received my title as Officer, and you rejoiced with me when I was given the title of Commodore. You've been there for me my whole life; I trusted you implicitly, because I wholeheartedly believed that you could not lie. Lucian the Honest, incapable of deceit…"

"I guess I've dashed that all away, haven't I?" muttered Lucian in a defeated tone, his head still hung low.

"It was foolish of me to think that you – or anyone, for that matter – were perfect," continued Declan. "I was wrong to have acted the way I did; Orihime was right after all – you never did lie to me, and I'm sure you omitted what you did for a good reason."

"I was ashamed," spoke up Lucian, raising his head slightly. "I was so ashamed for what I had done; I had betrayed Jizengensei, but then I betrayed Ryojin. It was too much for me to…"

"I just apologized, all right?" interrupted Declan to Lucian's surprise, smiling and closing his eyes warmly (imagine this: ^_^) before turning his attention to the others. "Hey, quit arguing and get over here!" Inoue immediately shouted out and saluted, and soon all seven fugitives were gathered upon the flat, expansive summit of the mountain.

"First," began Lucian in a regal tone, his head held high and confident among the group. "Are any of you familiar with this?" A red blur appeared in front of Lucian, from which he pulled out a crystal-clear, perfectly round orb, a curious etching of a strange bird intricately scratched into the glass.

"That's one of Kukaku's Spirit Orb thingies!" exclaimed Ichigo as he looked upon the orb. "I hate those things!"

"That's only because you never could get a handle on your own reiatsu," observed Ishida with an adjustment of his glasses. "You were worse than Ganju!"

"HEY!" shouted Ichigo, his face becoming red, the memories remembered during his battle with Michele seemingly vanished from his mind in the short time since the fight. "Don't compare me to a wimp like him!"

"Gentlemen…" interrupted Declan, a cold, hard, unkind look growing upon his face, immediately recognized by Ishida and Ichigo who stopped their fussing at once.

"Now then, if you are finished," resumed Lucian, desperately trying to keep his immense bodily pain hidden from the others. "As you all know then, this orb resonates with spiritual energy and creates a strong, protective shell around the user. The greater the strength of the users, the stronger the shell. Declan, please take this…" Lucian handed Declan the orb, upon which Lucian took another breath and continued.

"Each of you, place your hands upon the orb. You too, Ichigo." All five obeyed Lucian's command and gathered around the orb, placing their hands upon it along with Declan's. Without even a moment of hesitation, the familiar translucent shell appeared around them, just as it had done before with Kukaku Shiba during the first sojourn in Soul Society.

"Just like back then…" mused Ichigo, looking around at the perfectly spherical shell.

"Only this time it is much stronger," observed Chad, his eyes closed with concentration. "This shell is a thousand times stronger than steel, at least…"

"Okay, it seems you all know how to use this," declared Declan happily. "Ease away your reiatsu and allow the sphere to dematerialize, and Lucian can join us." All six occupants relaxed their spirit pressure and awaited the collapse of the shell – but none came.

"Nothing's happening…" said Inoue with some concern in her voice as she looked around the perfectly shaped, ever-present sphere.

"I don't understand…" said Declan, tapping the floating, untouched shell. "This is most unusual; its almost as if it's designed to trap…" Declan's words slowed to a halt as he looked up out of the sphere towards Lucian, who was gazing at the sphere, his façade drowning with regret.

"This is where our paths diverge, Commodore Declan," said Lucian, his body trembling under the mortal wound in his belly. "It has to be this way."

"NO!"

"Declan?" asked Aiseki, unsure of what was happening, but certain that Declan was quite unhappy with the situation. "What is going on? Why isn't the shell collapsing?"

"You lied to me…" growled Declan, tears brimming his eyes and flowing down his cheeks as he spoke. "YOU LIED TO ME!"

"No," answered Lucian softly, his voice so smooth and sincere that it halted all of Declan's emotions, if only for a moment. "I told you – I will be fine. Death for a Holy is not the end, nor is it a thing to mourn."

"Lucian-san…?" asked Inoue softly, her words slurring to a mumble.

"Callous stabbed me with a Witherstone knife," continued Lucian, gathering confidence with each passing second. "Witherstone is what we call the spirit-sucking material filling the Jizengensei wilderness, and extreme contact with it can remove one's abilities as a Holy."

"You don't…no…" gasped Declan, his eyes widening with horror. "Lucian, you can't…!"

"I must," he retorted. "I never told you that I knew how to get out of this dimension, but Callous showed me the way. You see, him stabbing me with the blade was the key to our victory, and he knew it."

"But you'll destroy us all!" screamed Declan desperately, to which Lucian slowly shook his head in the negative.

"That is why you must all pour your entire spirits into the orb," counseled the blonde Holy. "Only then can you withstand the destruction of this dimensional prison."

"Declan, what is he doing?" asked Aiseki, growing concerned over the talk of destruction and death.

"He's going to destroy his spirit," replied Declan. "Holies have blocks placed on their souls, eliminating death and preventing suicide. The blocks in Lucian's spirit have been dissolved by the stone, and now he's going to kill himself."

"Suicide?" gasped Ishida.

"The spirit is made up of particles held together like physical atoms," continued Declan. "If you break an atom, tremendous energy will be released. So too it is with spirits, and in Lucian's case, death can be done by one's own will."

"Correct," nodded Lucian. "While my powers as a Holy have been taken away, I retain this one last ability. That orb has been modified during our ascent up the mountain to keep you inside. I am going to break this dimension now, so place all your power within it! The force of what you are about to endure will surely shatter it, so control it as long as you can."

"But Lucian…" pleaded Declan, his tears overflowing. "Lucian please…you don't have to do this! You don't have to keep suffering for the sins of the past! You don't have to die a martyr of Ryojin's tyranny!" With these words, Lucian shot a look at Declan, hard, firm, yet kinder and warmer than any look Declan's master had ever given him.

"Declan, I'm a Holy, not a saint," said Lucian with a short smile. "My duty is to protect Jizengensei, and to defend the Eternal Path. Ryojin is trying to destroy that path, and he wants to destroy the God that I love. I am doing this because I am a Holy, a warrior of God."

"That is right, Declan," added a light feminine voice. From behind Lucian, stepping out as though from another dimension, appeared his lovely red-haired zanpakuto Cerillius, her crimson eyes warm and beautiful despite the events about to take place. "Lucian and I will destroy this dimension, which should disable Jigenseisokuka for a time, leaving Ryojin vulnerable. When the seals upon his spirit dissolved, they dissolved in my spirit as well, though I haven't lost my powers. He he…"

"Ryojin also has lost his Holy powers," said Lucian, sidling next to his beautiful zanpakuto. "I'm sorry for deceiving you all earlier, but Ryojin will be defenseless when his zanpakuto is taken out. Defeating and destroying him will be simple, and destroy him you must."

"Jigenseisokuka is far too dangerous," continued Cerillius. "Should he and Ryojin reunite before he is forced into pasaje, then all will be lost."

"Lucian…" muttered Declan, the tears returning to his eyes, though now in mourning, not desperation. Lucian, on the other hand, smiled big and waved his hand happily towards the group.

"We will meet again, before you know it," said the handsome Holy. "Life is but a bump in the everlasting road of existence, and we will be reunited, if only in the Eternal Realm of the Gods. Declan, be strong, and brave; your destiny is to be the leader of the Holies when all is restored, and I know you will be legendary.

"Orihime, stay pure and kind; God has granted you some of his power because of the goodness of your soul, and you should continue making Him proud.

"Uryuu, relax and enjoy life; your wisdom, strength, and courage knows no bounds.

"Chad, remember that to protect is to love, and that charity is the pure love of God.

"Ichigo, I wish I could have gotten to know you better, but we'll have eternity to learn from one another. Keep your faith always, and nothing will be able to stop you.

"And Aiseki, do not sorrow, and do not mourn. Yours is a life of extraordinary blessings, and you will be called upon again. Now then, pour in your strength to the orb, and prepare!"

Declan, despite the sorrow in his heart, heeded his master's command, as did the others, and the shell became even stronger and radiant than before. Outside, Lucian and Cerillius grasped each other's hands, their bodies only a few inches apart, both their eyes closed. A wind began to swirl around them, and Declan knew that this was the end of his beloved master, his lifelong friend.

The wind grew stronger and stronger, and with the rotating vortex growing around the Holy and Zanpakuto came flickerings and streaks of white energy, growing larger, longer, and brighter with each passing moment. Soon the air around them was sparkling and radiating like a magical dream, and Lucian and Cerillius opened their eyes. Pure, white light shone out from their sockets, glorious and heavenly, their pupils and irises lost in the splendor. In this state Lucian and Cerillius turned towards the orb, bathed in the glorious celestial light, and with a kind smile and warm heart, Lucian spoke his final words.

"I love you all. Godspeed."

A crackling roar, a blistering flash, and a tumultuous explosion blasted the orb. Lucian and Cerillius were both gone, but the orb held steady. Outside the fireball and burst grew larger and larger, enveloping the orb within its sun-like blaze, but within only a second the energy suddenly contracted. With the sound of a mighty, hurricane the energy collected into a single point, and like a vacuum the orb was sucked into this black hole of sorts. Within mere moments the entire Plane of Sorrow was also consumed, the planets of Jizengensei and Earth pulled in as well, and with that, it was all gone.

_Lucian…_

(break)

Alicia, weakened to the point of collapse, fell upon the ground in a futile attempt to crawl away from Ryojin Valhalla. Alicia had become a Sorrow, the enemy of Holies, and Ryojin was resolute in destroying her to prevent the Sorrow from ever returning.

"I'm sorry," said Ryojin to Alicia as she struggled still to escape, though unsuccessfully. "I must do my duty." Ryojin raised his scimitar into the air with his remaining left arm, the same containing the spirit resonance device in the now-exposed hand.

"Forgive me Alicia Anders," declared Ryojin, his voice filled with regret for the action he was about to commit. "If there could be another way, I would choose that route. Goodbye…" Ryojin gathered his remaining strength, and swung down his zanpakuto.

Before the blade could move even a few inches downward, however, it shattered into millions of shards, the force of the explosion throwing Ryojin backwards where he crashed hard upon the ground.

"My…my hand…?" gasped Ryojin as he opened his eyes. His left hand was torn and cut, blood seeping unimpeded from innumerable wounds, but mixed in among the blood were sparks and wisps of smoke – the device, the tool by which his quest was enabled, was destroyed. "Jigen…what happened to you? What is going…on…?" Ryojin's words slowed as he realized that no longer was he alone with Alicia. Dozens of people surrounded him, and as he looked around he recognized that his life was over.

"Surrender, Valhalla…" commanded the tenor voice of Declan Greenleaf, disheveled from his battle with the Fallen Ones and his short journey inside the orb. "It's over." Surrounding Declan were Aiseki, Ichigo, and all the other keys from Jizengensei and the Mortal world (most of whom were still in a somewhat vegetative state), and behind Ryojin several shadows appeared from the advent of the captains and vice-captains of Soul Society.

"M…Mark?" asked Alicia, turning her head towards her husband, who immediately ran to and knelt next to his injured and beleaguered wife.

"Declan…?" asked Ryojin, his heart and mind still in shock. "How are you here? Where is Lucian?"

"Lucian is dead, Ryojin," replied Declan coldly, though his heart and tone were filled with utmost sorrow. "He sacrificed himself to stop you, to keep you from destroying yourself! All the Fallen Ones, dead as well!" Ryojin's face fell, and tears filled his eyes.

"What have I done…?" said Ryojin, his voice leaking with sadness. "All I wanted was to protect my brothers and sisters…but now they are suffering beyond what I thought acceptable!" From amidst the surrounding group, Aiseki Kennomichi, formerly Mark Anders, and son to Ryojin, stepped forward.

"Look what you've become, father…" said Aiseki shamefully, turning his attention from Alicia to Ryojin. "Look what you've been reduced to, all because of your selfish desires!"

"Mark, this isn't what I wanted!" countered Ryojin, his cheeks and chin wet with tears. "I wanted to reform our family, I wanted to save my father and brother! I only wanted to help, but…"

"What you've done is unacceptable," spoke up another voice, this belonging to Shakuho Hitokage, emerging from behind the group with a significant limp and a massive, bloodied bandage upon his chest. From within the warriors of Soul Society, Vice-Captain Nanao Ise gasped and blushed as she saw her former subordinate, though inside she was distressed from his condition.

"You terrorized and ruined Aiseki's life!" continued Shakuho angrily. "You tore families apart, and you tried to conquer the worlds!"

"Someone like you is too dangerous to forgive," added Ichigo Kurosaki. "You cannot be permitted to live." Ryojin fell silent at these words, and silence likewise permeated the entire scene for several moments before Ryojin drew a breath and spoke, his voice low and submissive.

"I agree."

_**My life has been a lie. Centuries pass, and deeper entrenched in darkness have I become…**_

_The young, handsome, blonde-haired boy sat upon the cobbled stone wall, kicking his legs up and down and letting the heels smack against the stonework. With a heavy sigh the young boy of no more than six looked up into Jizengensei's beautiful blue sky, but despite the grandeur all around he was sorrowful. He had been scolded by his mother for something that his father had done, and inside he felt angry and sad among a plethora of feelings._

_"Stupid father…" grumbled little Lucian. "Stupid stupid father…"_

_"Now, that isn't something I'm used to hearing in Jizengensei," interrupted an older man's voice from the street behind. Lucian turned around to see a man dressed in the white garments of a Commodore approaching, his smooth dark hair long and free, a kind, gentle smile and warmth in his blue eyes._

_"Who are you?" asked Lucian unabashedly to the stranger. "You look like a Commodore…"_

_"Very wise, young man," replied the man happily. "I am Commodore Ryojin Valhalla. What is your name?"_

_"Lucian Francis," replied the boy. "I'm just a kid."_

_"Well, Master Lucian, what has brought such anguish in your heart?" asked Ryojin, the sincerity of his voice so strong that Lucian immediately felt at ease._

_"My father…" replied Lucian, turning back around and pouting. "He broke mother's favorite vase, and he blamed me for it."_

_"Ah, you mean your father Adam, correct?" asked Ryojin, to which Lucian turned and nodded. "He's a little old to be blaming you for anything; he's an Officer of the Holy Commissions!"_

_"Well, yeah…" began Lucian, looking back down to the ground. "I guess I kinda was the one who knocked it over, but he was the one who ran into me…well, maybe he didn't run into me, but he almost did…" With these words Ryojin smiled again and sat down upon the stone wall next to Lucian._

_"There is a teachable moment here, young Lucian," he began with an air of respect and authority, yet warmth and kindness. "You were so caught up with your emotions that you began lying to yourself, and that is the worst kind of lying of all. When you can't even trust yourself, who is there left that you can trust?"_

_"I don't know, maybe my dad?" Ryojin let out a hearty laugh at these words and patted Lucian on the shoulder._

_"Young Lucian," he began after finishing. "You are pure in heart and mind, and I foresee you will be a Holy of legend."_

_"But I'm not even a Saint!" retorted the little boy. "Adrian wass better than me at everything!"_

_"Perhaps," replied Ryojin. "But your heart is far purer, and that is something rare to find in a soul these days. In fact, I'm so confident in you, just from this little encounter, that I want to take you on as an apprentice." Lucian turned his head immediately towards Ryojin, his eyes alight with excitement and disbelief._

_"R-Really?" gasped the young boy. "Oh man, wait till mom hears!" At once Lucian leapt off from the wall and began running towards the little cottage, but before he could get too far Ryojin called out to him again._

_"Remember, young Lucian," said Ryojin kindly. "No matter how many struggles are cast upon you, no matter what the hardship, as long as you are honest in all your dealings and with all your heart, you will be victorious over all." Lucian giggled with excitement and continued running to the house, Ryojin completely sure that the boy hadn't heard a word he had said._

_**But of course, he had heard it, and he exemplified during his life with me his undying devotion to the truth. If only I had been so stalwart, so strong…**_

_**I let my emotions destroy my world. I let the loss of Ashley and Mark drive my own destruction. I let the choices of others ruin my soul, when all along I should have been rooted in the truth. Now, however, I have fallen; those who followed me are dead and passed on, likely to face Hell without ever tasting mortality. I have become a monster, a demon, and I truly deserve this. I deserve Hell.**_

"Huh?" asked Ichigo, taken aback by Ryojin's declaration.

"I am an enemy to God, and therefore and enemy to all," continued Ryojin. "I have betrayed those who love me, and have caused nothing but pain, anguish and loss. But I do not have the ability to take my own life without killing you all, not now with my hands destroyed. I do not wish for any more destruction…Ichigo, Mark, please take my life for me."

"Very well…" declared Aiseki, and without hesitation he removed his sheathed katana from his sash, placing his hand firmly upon the handle while holding the sheath in his other. "Drown out his sorrow, Awaregeken."

Just as with his battle with Me'epo and Sharresh, the blade came out of the sealed sheath, and the sheath itself transformed into a long staff, the top of which featured a carved wolf's head.

"So that is your zanpakuto…" mused Ryojin with a small and short-lived smile. "You were taken from me before I was able to see it completed…it is beautiful." Ichigo Kurosaki then stepped next to Aiseki and pulled his own zanpakuto Zangetsu from his back, and the pieces were set in motion for Ryojin's execution. Together Ichigo and Aiseki stepped forward, Ichigo halting in front of Ryojin, who now was struggling to get to his knees with a badly damaged arm and broken hand. Aiseki, on the other hand, took a stance behind Ryojin, from where he would cut off the villain's head.

"Viajante…" said Aiseki softly. "I wish you had never come into my life…"

"I hope you don't really mean that," replied Ryojin equally soft. "Though the situation was wrong, seeing you again has given my heart so much peace…"

"It's the end, Viajante!" declared Ichigo resolutely. "We'll make this quick; you don't deserve to suffer, so I will stab my sword through your heart, and Aiseki will cut off your head all at once!"

"Death…" pondered Ryojin under his breath. "So long have I waited…"

"Goodbye, father," said Aiseki behind him, and without a moment of delay or hesitation Ichigo stabbed forward to Ryojin's heart, and Aiseki slashed his sword towards Ryojin's neck.

_Even with Hell awaiting me, I'm happy to finally move on…_

Ryojin awaited the brief sting and gentle fade, but none came. Instead, all that could be sensed was a sound, a sound of distress, confusion, and murmuring from the group of Holies, humans, and Shinigami. After a hesitant moment of waiting, Ryojin opened one eye first, then the other – only to see someone standing between him and Ichigo. The stranger's arms were extended outward, one holding the blade of Zangetsu, the other blocking and holding Awaregeken.

"W…what is the meaning of this?" asked Aiseki to the stranger, seemingly cast in shadows despite it being a clear day. "Who are you?" The stranger then spoke, his voice so powerful and majestic that Aiseki's spirit felt it would leap out of his body with excitement.

"That's enough, Aiseki, Ichigo. You've done well; I'm so very proud of you all."

**Next is the final chapter! Title to be released only then! Watch for it!**

**BONUS!**

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of spoilers, so you'll just have to wait. In the meantime I have a 11-day examination for my PhD project that is going to eat up all of my time. Expect the final chapter within two-three weeks. It will be a big one complete with an Epilogue too, so consider it a double-episode ^_^

Kankokage loves you all!


	38. Chapter 37: Redemption of Evil

**CHAPTER 37: REDEMPTION OF EVIL**

"That's enough, Aiseki, Ichigo. You've done well; I'm so very proud of you all."

A cautious wave of silence permeated the throng of humans, Holies, and shinigami as the stranger spoke. Even Ryojin, the target of the now failed execution attempt, durst not speak even a single syllable beneath the shadow of this newcomer who protected his life from the blades of Ichigo and Aiseki.

"If you are protecting the enemy, then you must be our enemy as well," growled Ichigo, wresting Zangetsu's blade free and slashing at the stranger – though his blade could barely travel two inches before his own muscles halted under the spirit pressure emanating from the shadowed stranger's body. This reiatsu was heavy and thick, so thick that Ichigo felt he would be able to swim through it, but instead of defeating his intent with fear and power, this reiatsu seemed different – it gave him such peace that he didn't feel the need to follow through with his attack.

It was then that Ichigo, Aiseki, and everyone else gathered around finally realized the form and shape of the new stranger. What was originally perceived as shadow was not shadow at all – rather a full, dark brown mane like a lion, rising from the stranger's head, curving around and running down along his entire body. Even his hands were more like feline paws, complete with claws and pads, but before any could see the man's face in this form he began to subtly change, until after nothing more than a few seconds his form was that of a human, thirties in appearance, and unquestionably and undeniably handsome in every facet. His hair color was the same of the now-disappeared mane, and as he stood up straight his features became all the more noticeable.

"W…who are you…?" gasped Ryojin from below, now able to get a view of his rescuer. Above, the man looked down upon Ryojin with a loving gaze that melted his heart, reducing him to tears. Dressed in fine white garments not unlike a Holy, though far finer and radiant, the tender, blue-eyed man smiled upon the damaged and defeated Ryojin below. His face was clean shaven and smooth, strong and muscular as was the rest of his body for all they could tell, but were it not for the intense feelings of peace and excitement that everyone in the company felt they would have considered him to be just an exceptionally handsome man. Those feelings could not be ignored, however; whoever this person was, such spiritual feelings were new and never felt before by any – except for Ichigo who, despite his obstinance several moments before, began to remember what he had felt mere hours before during his battle with Michele Revenant.

_I've felt this spirit before…_ he thought as he gazed upon the newcomer, now kneeling down to Ryojin and picking him up into his arms like a child.

"As well you should, Ichigo," said the stranger, turning to Ichigo and smiling.

"You read my mind?" gasped Ichigo in surprise, though his mind was on a different path. _That voice…it's the same as back then. He was the one who helped me defeat Michele…he was there in place of __mom__!_

"Your mother was busy protecting her family on Earth after it became trapped in Jigenseisokuka's universe," continued the stranger to Ichigo. "She wanted to help you, so she asked me to go in her place."

"What are you talking about?" piped in the Holy Declan. "You've met Ichigo already? Who are you?" The stranger then turned to Declan and smiled before speaking.

"I am your Creator, the God of this world…" said the stranger matter-of-factly. "I assisted Ichigo in his transformation brought upon by your zanpakuto, Natsukisaki. Now, however, I am here to protect Jonah Valhalla as a Father."

"You're G…God?" stammered Aiseki, his lips stuttering and his body shuddering as he spoke, his eyes widened in shock. "But…but if you are God, then you know what Ryojin has done! You know the evil he has brought and the lives he's destroyed! Why would you protect him?"

"Look at these terrible sins!" added Shakuho Hitokage from amidst the crowd surrounding. "How could he atone for such darkness?"

"I understand your anger and desire for justice," said God softly, though his voice pierced the entire scene such that all could hear him clearly. "But you also need to stop and think – think about what really has happened over these last few months…"

"And if you're God, why would you let such horrible things happen?" interrupted Declan with an angry tone, still reeling from the loss of his master and teacher. "Why would you allow us to suffer like this, then come in at the last moment when all is said and done? Why didn't you intervene?"

"Because I didn't need to," replied God, his tone so dulcet smooth and genuine that Declan's fiery emotions vanished instantly. "Life is a grand experiment, and the less I can involve myself directly, the more natural and beneficial your development will be. But at this juncture, in order to prevent unnecessary and truly cruel loss and death, I needed to act for myself.

"Think about it; what has happened since the world was conquered just days ago? Broken ties have been rebound; Shakuho Hitokage returned to Soul Society as a hero, and his resolve is stronger now than it ever was during his life. Aiseki Kennomichi has likewise grown and developed, and learned much of himself and his life. Furthermore, he was able to live a life on Earth that was taken so prematurely, and was able to affect his wife's life for the better.

"Alicia Anders, meanwhile, changed her fate. She was always fated to become a sorrow, but because of the events that have transpired this transformation took place in such a manner to cause the least amount of damage and no death at all. She has ejected those feelings of darkness from her soul, something she would not have been able to do had she _not_ gotten to know the Viajante. Now, she even has a zanpakuto abandoned by another, and her entire world has changed – for the better.

"The Slaves of the Viajante, those three that left Soul Society and followed him, namely Shigeryu, Fu, whose real name is Kiria, and Toriko, whose real name is Uri…while damaged gravely in their battles, these three are not perished. In fact, they can be healed, and now have the opportunity to regain their honor and place in Soul Society.

"Even among the Shinigami, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi will have learned an important lesson in patience and pride, and Captain Kenpachi Zaraki has already learned love and charity through his interactions with his lieutenant Yachiru and the Viajante. Furthermore, a level of trust not previously present among the leadership of the Gotei Thirteen has developed through your work and aspiring to protect each other, as seen with Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. This same Captain has himself grown considerably by letting his beloved sister, Rukia, and his own lieutenant, Renji Abarai, seek out to restore their lost pride when they supposed their dear friends murdered."

"But what about the Fallen Ones?" asked Declan as soon as he could get a word in. "They suffered painful deaths…"

"Choice is something I cannot take away from a person," answered God. "In each of their cases, the choice was made to fight to the death for their cause. However, consider what exactly happened to them; were they not all redeemed from their eternal prison placed upon them in Jizengensei? Were they not all granted pasaje, even if by a forceful hand? Did not each of you, Orihime, Uryuu, Yasutora, Ichigo, and Aiseki, feel and hear in your hearts that you were not destroying, but rather liberating these your brothers and sisters? Each of them is now free to live and grow and progress, something that had you not been faithful and true would not be the case.

"Finally, and most importantly, is this: the worlds have been restored, life there will continue on as it always had, and none of you, nor any innocents, have been killed. Even Captains Kurotsuchi and Zaraki, whose souls had been stolen, are even now as we speak returning back to Sereitei, their souls and spirits intact and alive once again thanks to the liberation given by Lucian's sacrifice. Indeed, Lucian and Cerillius' sacrifice was the only loss in this affair, but even in this there is only merit to be heralded. Lucian is finally at peace with himself, he too having suffered a life of agony and sorrow; now he is the hero, Cerillius as well, and together they will be rewarded eternally for their bravery. But even though he destroyed his spirit body, his soul lives on, and will be born into the Mortal World; there is no victory of death over him, nor his zanpakuto, nor for any of you. For all this good which has come about, does the Viajante truly need to be punished by your hands with death?"

Another wave of silence crushed upon the large group; what this stranger was saying was completely true. Despite all the horror no one among them had died, save Lucian and Cerillius by their own decision.

"For many centuries I have foreseen these events," continued God after a few moments of silence. "And this was the fate and path that was set. Each of you was to be tested for your faith and trust, and each of you has passed magnificently…but then again, you are my children, and I have tremendous faith in your abilities."

"God…" mumbled Ryojin, his tears now dried, though his eyes were stained red. "Why…?" Before he could say another word, however, God shifted his hold on Ryojin to one arm, and reached into a pocket in his flawless garments.

"However, justice must be served," declared God with a stern and authoritative tone, seemingly ignoring Ryojin. "Jonah Valhalla has erred greatly from the Eternal Path, and punishment cannot be avoided." From his pocket God retracted a small object in his hands. As he lifted it before the crowd, each of them realized that it was not unlike a candy dispenser – long, slender, brightly colored – with a cartoonish badger's head at the top.

"What the…?" asked Alicia Anders, still wounded upon the ground, but confused at the sight before her.

"I must be going now," declared God with a smile. "I will be taking Jonah with me. Declan Greenleaf, you must return to Jizengensei, and I will guide you back. I have enjoyed seeing you all more than you can possibly know, and truly you have made me miss you more than I ever imagined. I love you all, my precious children. Now please, look at the badger." With a flick of the thumb the badger head sprang upward and bounced back and forth for a moment upon an attached spring, after which a massive wave of pink, fluffy clouds burst out of the main body of the item…and with that, the stranger, Ryojin, and Declan were gone.

Several minutes passed while the large group of humans and shinigami stood motionless and silent among the ruins of Rukongai as the pink clouds faded, these having covered all of Rukongai and Sereitei in their entirety before dissipating. Slowly the group began regaining lucidity, and as it returned Ichigo slapped his face and rubbed his forehead as though coming off a bad headache.

"Man, what just happened?" asked Ichigo generally. "I feel like I've totally blacked out…"

"Something crazy happened here!" exclaimed Aiseki as he surveyed the destroyed surroundings. "Something bad…" A similar murmur rose from the shinigami leadership and the humans as well; extreme shock at the state of their surroundings and condition, but no memory of what was happening – nor any apparent concern over their being gathered together. In addition, none of the injured seemed to remember having been damaged at all; Rukia's wounds were completely vanished, as were Renji's, Shigeryu's, Fu (now called Kiria), Toriko (now called Uri), Kisuke's, Shakuho's, and Yoruichi's. Even Alicia was standing complete, whole, and untarnished from her recent, completely forgotten battle.

"Should we investigate?" asked Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro to his fellow shinigami. "There has to be some reason for all of us being here…"

"No," replied Captain Kyoraku from beneath his straw hat, turning a blind, sorrowful eye to Nanao as she embraced Shakuho across the way. "I don't think we will need to."

"But why not?" asked the petite Captain Soi Fon. "Something had to have caused this destruction…"

"Something bad _did_ happen…" interjected Aiseki, stepping towards the captains with his wife at his side. "But whatever happened, it has been made right. Can't you feel it?"

"We're going to be all right, all of us," added Alicia, her zanpakuto Elizabeth now back in her sheath, radiating with life and joy to be with her master.

"It's all going to be okay from now on."

(break)

Jonah Valhalla slowly opened his eyes; moments earlier he had been in Soul Society when God himself intervened in his execution, but now everything was different. All around was a pale rose hue, and while he could see no solid ground he was able to stand up. It was as he thus stood that he realized something was very off, something that nearly sent him back into a catatonic state due to the shock imbued.

"M…My arm!" exclaimed Jonah in disbelief as he realized his torn-off arm was now back in place, unharmed in every facet. His damaged hand, injured when Jigenseisokuka had burst, was likewise healed completely, as were all of his injuries sustained while battling Alicia. "How did it…?"

"I healed you," spoke up a voice, and Jonah slowly lifted his head to see God standing before him, still dressed in his fine garments not unlike a Holy's uniform. Instead of thanking him, however, Jonah scowled and shouted, running towards God and swinging his fist at his face.

"WHY?" Jonah's fist collided squarely with God's handsome, perfect jaw, though he did not budge from his stance. Instead, Jonah collapsed upon his knees on the ground at God's feet, where he began to bitterly weep, his wails half sorrowful, half furious. "Why would you let this happen…why wouldn't you just kill me? I know that justice must be served! I know that I'm going to Hell like father and brother! Why are you making me suffer even longer? Isn't it enough that the Elders tore my family away? Isn't it enough for me to doom my friends to Hell? JUST KILL ME!"

For all the rage and distraught, raw emotion inside, Jonah sincerely felt, for a moment, that God would comply and deal the final blow to his body and spirit. Instead, however, Jonah felt God place his hands beneath his arms, and with a firm motion God lifted him up to his feet again, thrusting him against his chest in an embrace. For several long moments God held Jonah tightly in silence, like a father greeting a prodigal son, until Jonah could no longer handle it.

"Why?" wept Jonah, pushing himself away from his God. "Why are you doing this? It doesn't make any sense…"

"You were never an evil person…" started God, his perfect blue eyes comfortingly gazing upon the weeping and shuddering Jonah. "You think you are to be reviled, but all you ever wanted was to preserve those you love. All you did, you did for your brothers and sisters, though along the way you did begin to lose yourself to more base desires. Such is to be expected, though; everyone makes mistakes, Jonah, and if we don't have loved ones to turn us around, those mistakes will only grow."

"Then why would you let the Elders take my family away…?" started Jonah, but God shook his head and raised a finger for silence.

"Did you not listen before?" asked God with a kind, gentle, yet reproving tone. "Freedom of choice is the greatest of all natural rights, and it is something that not even I can offend. The Elders of Jizengensei made a choice just as you made a choice, albeit both being very poor, and from that point on the future became reshaped. However, part of being God is to make sure that the best outcome comes about despite the choices of my children." For several moments Jonah was silent, digesting the words he had just heard from God's mouth; so much still did not make sense – why would God heal such an evil person like him?

"I still hate you…" grumbled Jonah, lowering his face such that God could not see the tears in his eyes. "Father, Brother…they were both sent to Hell for eternity…" To Jonah's complete surprise, God began to laugh at these words, drawing an incensed look from Jonah's eyes.

"How many times were you told?" laughed God, though in no derogatory sense at all. "Not all truth was revealed during your sojourn in Jizengensei; very well, young Jonah, I will enlighten and teach you. To start, when does life begin?" Jonah shook his head a little as if coming back to reality, and for a moment he hesitated before giving his answer.

"Life begins in Jizengensei…" he began. "Our souls are created by our parents, and born into the Premortal existence."

"Incorrect," declared God with a smile that leaked into his voice. "It isn't entirely clear, but enough critical thought would reveal that life is far more circular than it is linear. You see, your God is also your Father; this you are taught, correct?"

"Well, yes…" replied Jonah slowly.

"But if you were born in Jizengensei, how could I also be your Father?"

"You created the worlds," said Jonah, gaining slightly more confidence as he spoke, though his anger and resentment towards his God remained. "Anything created therein would then be your own creation…"

"Oh, my children do amuse me," laughed God. "Such it is with our species that we always over-think everything. Life is like thermodynamics, if you will; just as all things in the universe follow the simplest path to equilibrium, the simplest explanation is oft times the most correct, if not the only correct. When you dissolve the complexity wrought by our minds, you would see what many in the past have also learned – life begins not in Jizengensei, but in the Eternal Realm."

"Then why the deceit?" retorted Jonah angrily. "Why so much confusion and mystery?"

"Truth is truth, and nothing else," continued God. "The truth has always been there, but my children have a tendency to change their views into something that makes more sense to their undeveloped minds. Besides, the idea of creating a family in Jizengensei and returning to that family in the Eternal Realm is beautiful and pleasing to me, and such knowledge is not necessarily required for your salvation. You see, I have a wife myself, your Goddess, and she and I were once like you. We lived and grew, sinned and learned from our mistakes; there was even a time that I spent in Hell for sins I had committed during my days of youth and development…"

"W…What?" gasped Jonah, his eyes growing wide with utter and complete disbelief. "Y…You went to Hell? But, I thought…"

"Would a father be so willing to abandon his precious children to an eternity of suffering?" asked God suddenly, stifling Jonah's words and filling his mind with racing emotions and thoughts. "Yes, each of you are a child of your Mother and I, but in order for you to become like us, you needed to progress through life – first as a spirit with great power and knowledge, next as a mortal with flesh and blood, then as a spirit again, though still mortal and weak as before, and between these last two realms until at last you could enter the glory of the Eternal Realm. In order to properly develop, a block of memory had to be given so that you would have the chance to learn from your mistakes and successes – and properly atone for your sins.

"Terrible mistakes and deeds, however, involve the agency and choices of others. Your father and brother both did despicable things in their ignorance of the Eternal Path, and were thus sent to Hell to suffer – and also to grow. You see, Hell is maintained by a powerful spirit based not in hate, but in love. Hell is eternal, but not forever; eternal refers only to the nature of the repentance brought about inside it, but once a soul has learned from their mistakes and properly atoned, they again enter the stream of existence, and they can reach their final destination, the Eternal Realm."

As those last words a myriad of shadows appeared all around God and Jonah in the rose-colored void, and Jonah gasped as he began to recognize them. So many people of his youth and memory – Commodores, Officers, friends and family, even Wesley, his friend who betrayed him so long ago, and the three Elders – now gathered around them, all of them dressed in glorious white garments like God's, but all with their heads hung low in penitence.

"Jonah, forgive us…" asked the female Elder, one of the three who tore Ashley and Mark away from him so long ago. "We acted foolishly and wrong."

"Please dear friend…" added Wesley, his face shadowed in regret for past actions. "While what you did was wrong, I should have acted differently. I should have stood by you and helped you back down from the path of darkness. Please, forgive me for what I've put you through."

"Wesley…" said Jonah softly, so softly that the name barely left his mouth in any audible manner before another voice entered the scene, coming from behind.

"You can stop fighting against God now, my boy."

The tears were already pouring out of Jonah's eyes before he could turn around to see his father Lars Valhalla standing proudly, his arm around the shoulder of Jonah's brother Nico, both nearly identical in appearance to Jonah though older and dressed in finer garments.

"D…Dad?" gasped Jonah, barely able to speak as he saw his father and brother alive, well, and – most importantly – not consigned in Hell.

"Lars and Nico both finished their sojourns and entered the Eternal Realm some time ago," observed God, though Jonah's teary-eyed, overjoyed attention remained upon his father and brother. "In fact, usually only the strongest of Holies who progress to become shinigami spend extended seasons within the middle realms."

"Why didn't you tell me…?" asked Jonah as he wept. "Why did you keep such a secret…?"

"Becoming a god requires taking difficult steps into the unknown," replied God, and as he spoke the people all around, including Lars and Nico, vanished just as they had come. "Long ago you asked what the purpose of existence was, Jonah. I remember it well; it was just before you decided to destroy me, and you were distraught over what you supposed was the unending loss of your father. Alas, I cannot divulge that to you, since that would be cheating; however, I can tell you what _my_ purpose is."

"Your purpose?" asked Jonah, drying his eyes with his sleeves as he turned back towards God. Before him, God nodded with a smile, and drew another breath to speak.

"My work is to bring to pass the Eternal life of my children. In the Eternal Realm there are many degrees of happiness, and it is my purpose to bring each of my children to the degree of happiness they can endure. Not every soul can or will become a god, but the Eternal Realm is a place of eternal progression."

"I was such a fool…" said Jonah after hearing these words, placing his face into his hands in shame. "I was such a damn fool…"

"Now then, I think it is time for you to make the next step." Jonah lifted his eyes from his hands and saw God pull a large, ornate, and exceedingly beautiful crimson crystal heart from his cloaks, attached to a long, incredibly detailed silver chain of metal flower petal links. "This is about three hundred years overdue."

"I can't…" interjected Jonah suddenly, shying away from God and turning away so that his back faced his Father. "You can't do such a kind thing to someone as evil as me."

"I forgive you, my son, but you must forgive yourself as well," started God, followed with a heavy sigh. "I will tell you something, Jonah. Your sins against me are grave, and you did them with great knowledge. While technically you committed them in ignorance, you did them with correct knowledge of my definite existence. The punishment for this is similar to the fate of the First Sorrow…but someone has pleaded to me on your behalf. Naturally, I understand that you are not a Sorrow, and that when confronted with the darkness inside Alicia's own Sorrow you exercised your duty as a Holy of the Eternal Path. Regardless, someone asked for me to deliver you from your evil, and that is what I have done."

"Who is this person?" asked Jonah, turning a few degrees so that God could see the corner of his eyes. "Who would stand up for me like this, knowing how far I've fallen?"

"When the time is right," said God with a smile, then beckoning to Jonah with his free hand. "Now please, my son, take hold of my heart." Jonah hesitated for a moment, but in the end he swallowed his pride and walked up to his God. However, before he took hold of the crimson heart, a question came to his mind and lips.

"Father…" asked Jonah humbly. "Before when you saved me, your form was… different…"

"When a person with a zanpakuto reaches the Eternal Realm, their zanpakuto rejoins their master as one spirit," answered God happily without reservation. "You actually discovered this truth on your own, if you recall; you uncovered the secret when you trained Callous Depardieu to use his L'Union Angelique. Your theory was correct, Jonah – zanpakuto are merely a portion of our own spirits brought to life, and when we are strong enough the two parts are brought back together as one. So it is with my own zanpakuto, and he and I together are one being, just as your Mother is with her zanpakuto."

"Interesting…" muttered Jonah, smiling for the first time since before Alicia's transformation. "And my followers…will you forgive them too?"

"Your friends were faithful to you till the very end, Jonah," replied God, eliciting a sigh of relief and a tear of happiness from Jonah's eyes. "I promise that they will meet with you again, and your friendship will continue for eternity."

"Thank you…" said Jonah softly, bowing his head towards his God. He then placed his hands upon the crimson crystal heart, and took a deep breath.

"Jonah, your Mother and I love you more than you know," began God, his voice soothing and kind. "We want you to be happy, and we know that you will be happy in the end. But life is difficult, and life is trying; it has to be this way, though, for it is through our trials that we learn what joy truly is. Now, my son, I must inform you that justice must be served; in your life you will be sorely tested in a dangerous situation, and you must make the right decisions to grow."

"I understand," replied Jonah. "I will face my demons and defeat them, I promise… Father."

"Very good," said God with a smile. "Now then, breath deeply. Feel my love swelling through your soul, breaking the bonds that have barred your progression. You are Jonah Valhalla, my dear son, a giant among the spirits of my creation, and now you can start your way home."

Jonah's body began to radiate with energy and light as God spoke these words, an irreplaceable happiness and joy filling every facet of Jonah's entire soul. It was over; the long prison was over, and life was about to really begin. Along these lines his heart and mind mused as the light continued to fill his body – but it was then that he noticed that he and God were not alone. There was a woman standing next to God, blonde and beautiful, so familiar…

"I'll see you soon, Jonah," declared the woman. "Don't worry, I will wait for you; now go live your life, my love."

Jonah's eyes lit up as he recognized his wife from long ago, and with a smile he vanished, his spirit bursting into a million tiny specks of light that dispersed until, after several seconds, God and Ashley Valhalla were left alone in the rose-colored void.

"Father, will he be all right?" asked Ashley in her gentle alto voice. "He's so stubborn and proud, I worry…"

"He will have to grow like everyone else," answered God, turning his gaze upward. "But, his trials will be unlike any other. The inescapable tides of darkness are rising, and the lives of my children in all realms will be affected."

"What do you mean?" asked Ashley, a look of distress entering her lovely eyes. "I thought this was all over now…"

"Unfortunately not, my child," said God with a sigh. "This was fated; Alicia Anders became a Sorrow, and even now that demonic existence she bravely and successfully cast from her soul is plotting."

"Plotting what?" asked Ashley, her tone becoming increasingly intense and fearful. God then turned towards her, looking into her eyes with his own before speaking.

"It will seek to free _him_."

(break)

**Nine months later…**

_TELEVISION PROGRAM IN PROGRESS…_

_FEMALE REPORTER: It's been nothing but smiles all around the world! Nine months after the strange fog covered the surface of the planet, children are once again being born!_

_REPORTER IN SOUTH KOREA: We've just received word that our world's ninth child has been born to a happy Korean family, a healthy, stubborn baby boy named Kyeongseok. The entire nation wept together in joy at this tremendous occasion, and officials are considering naming this day a national holiday in the young boy's honor!_

_FEMALE REPORTER: You heard it right here, ladies and gentlemen: nine, that's nine babies born in the last few days. All of the families became pregnant around the same time as the fog, and after considerable monitoring and protections during the terms, the fruits of our collected labor are being realized…wait, we've just received word that twins have been born in Romania! Do we have the feed?_

_(Technical fuzz, shuffling, redirecting of cameras and crews…)_

_FEMALE REPORTER: Okay, we have linked into the Romanian news service carrying the story, and we will have our translators ready to deliver the words of the parents!_

_(More technical fuzz, then a switch over to the Romanian channel, taking place in a hospital room…)_

_MALE TRANSLATOR FOR REPORTER: Again, we repeat: twin baby boys, paternal, born to the lucky family here in Bucharest! Twin baby boys, one with a handsome tuft of brown hair!_

_FEMALE TRANSLATOR FOR MOTHER: I can't begin to express my joy! (sobs) It is such a blessing to be part of history! I'm so happy my dream of having a family can be realized now! (sobs)_

_MALE TRANSLATOR FOR REPORTER: What are their names?_

_MALE TRANSLATOR FOR FATHER: The one with brown hair we decided to name Jonah. We feel like he will be a strong, good, and kind man, and we thought that the name Jonah fit that description perfectly._

_MALE TRANSLATOR FOR REPORTER: Your other son has long blonde hair; that's a little odd for a baby, isn't it?_

_FEMALE TRANSLATOR FOR DOCTOR: It isn't seen like this too often, but maybe it means the little boy was touched by an angel? (laughter)_

_FEMALE TRANSLATOR FOR MOTHER: He is our little angel, just like his brother._

_Our little Lucian._

**Next: EPILOGUE – AISEKI'S JOURNAL**


	39. Epilogue: Aiseki's Journal

**EPILOGUE: AISEKI'S JOURNAL**

_Note: If you went from chapter 36 to here, go back – there is a chapter 37. Thank you._

About a year ago something really strange happened, something I cannot explain, but something very, very good. My wife and I now live in Soul Society; I was never meant to live in the Mortal world, seeing as how I was a shinigami for decades, but being my wife's only family she decided to stay here with me.

So much has changed in the last year, it's hard to think of it all. I guess I will start with the Academy.

When the event happened, we found ourselves in the presence of three unknown shinigami named Shigeryu, Kiria, and Uri. Now, Captain Zaraki said he kinda remembered them, but they had no idea what was going on. Naturally, Zaraki (being the intolerant beast he is sometimes) said "hell no!" to allowing them into his squad. So, instead, they went to the Academy. Seriously, I don't know why nobody thought of this before, but it is brilliant. Apparently during the time the three were "mysteriously vanished", they each learned incredible skills. Now, they are using that skill to help shinigami improve themselves.

It's kind of like a community college for the Afterlife. Shigeryu, the guy who looks like a wild man, or a wolf, or something…he has an incredible relationship with his zanpakuto, and he is giving classes to adult and seasoned shinigami on how to improve their own relationships. From what I've heard, that guy can utilize Shikai techniques…without even being in Shikai! Talk about a relationship of trust!

The girl, Kiria (she's kind of freaky with all her tattoos, but no matter how hard I try I can't help but stare at her – my wife hates it) is a master of control. She even has a Bankai, but she refuses to become a captain. Anyway, she teaches the shinigami how to control their reiatsu to ridiculous levels, having them conduct obstacle courses with stupidly hard scenarios. Sometimes I think it's a bit much, and that she might be a kind of sadomasochist, but the results seem to be panning out well…

The big guy, the really scary looking one, Uri…you can't sneak up on that guy. His senses are amazing, better than a dog, cat, horse…well, any animal at least. As you can imagine he teaches his shinigami students how to listen, feel, smell, see, and sense their surroundings. I'm thinking of taking his class myself, since I tend to space off a little much.

Then there's Shakuho, my old teacher. He came back to Sereitei with a hero's welcome – from Nanao Ise, that is. I feel sorry for poor Captain Kyoraku; he loved his Vice-Captain so much, and she won't even give him the time of day now that her boyfriend is back in town. Of course, she really let him have for a few months – I thought the poor guy would die from her never-ending punishment ("You left me all alone to deal with Shunsui!"). Anyway, just last month Shakuho took the Captain's Examination and passed! He's now the Captain of Squad Three…though his personality kinda clashes with Kira's. I hope it works out all right.

Kisuke and Yoruichi have long since gone back to Earth. I don't know why, but they seem to prefer it there. Frankly, I think they're crazy.

Ichigo Kurosaki is back being a regular kid on Earth…okay, a very _ir_regular kid. He still is the strongest shinigami I know of, and he and his friends have been relaxing in this relatively peaceful time. Of course, the hollows are starting to come back, but even they seem a little more cheerful than usual. Hopefully that continues and the shinigami and hollows can start getting along better…but I doubt it.

Speaking of powerful shinigami, I forgot to mention that Renji Abarai was recommended for a Captain's position – and got it! He now is over Squad Nine, and he and his Vice-Captain Shuuhei Hisagi get along famously. But then again, I think everyone gets along with Hisagi – especially my wife.

Speaking of, and I guess there's a reason I am mentioning this last…

So Alicia was recommended for a Captain's position over Squad Five. I'm not sure how I feel about this, seeing as how I'm just a lowly fifth seat in Captain Ukitake's Squad Thirteen. I guess she deserved it, though; she reached Bankai faster than any shinigami in history, and her Bankai really is…AMAZING.

She has been complaining lately of nightmares, though. I know that I used to have them, and I know how recurring bad dreams can affect a person. She talks about strange people and places, common names and faces, horrible things and scary situations…I'm hoping that it is just nerves with her upcoming Captain's examination, but I'm starting to think it might be something else.

Hopefully I'm wrong.

Anyway, that's all for today. My name is Mark Anders, but you can call me Aiseki Kennomichi, and my life is one of joy.

**The End – Bleach, The Eternal Path, Part I: The Viajante**

**BONUS!** Thank you so much for reading my story. If you read and _liked_ Akira, Kankokage of the Three Mountains, I have some bad news for you. I've realized that Naruto isn't a good meme for me, and I probably won't continue that sequel for a while. However, as you probably noticed, this is Part I of a multipart series that I've been putting together now for the last year. I feel this was a good story worth continuing, and Part II will be coming out soon, so watch for it!

If you are wondering, yes, I did pass my Qualifying Exam. In about 2 years I will be known as Dr. Kankokage, PhD! BWA HA HA HA!


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